How to Write 唆 (suō) — Meaning “To instigate or incite.”

Imagine a mouth (口) whispering 'suō suō' to a person who looks like a running figure (the right part 夋 resembles a person with legs moving quickly). This visual helps you remember that 唆 means to instigate or incite someone to take action by speaking to them.

Pay attention to the right part 夋: it begins with a folding stroke (撇折), then a short left-falling stroke, followed by a dot, and then two more strokes and a horizontal hook. A common mistake is to confuse the top of 夋 with 夂 or to make the bottom too wide—keep the proportions balanced so that 口 is narrow and 夋 occupies the main area.

While 唆, 呢, and 呣 all have the 口 radical, their right parts and meanings are completely different. 唆 means 'to instigate' (negative, active), 呢 is a grammatical particle used in questions or for emphasis, and 呣 is an interjection expressing thought or doubt. Visually, 唆 has 夋 on the right, 呢 has 尼, and 呣 has 母.

唆 appears in formal or legal contexts, especially in words like 教唆 (to instigate or abet a crime) and 挑唆 (to incite conflict). It carries a strongly negative connotation and is not used in casual conversation—for example, 教唆犯 means 'an instigator' in criminal law. Chinese learners should recognize it but rarely need to use it actively outside of reading legal or news texts.

Common words containing 唆 include: 教唆 (jiào suō) — to instigate; to abet; 唆使 (suō shǐ) — To instigate or egg someone on.; 挑唆 (tiǎo suō) — to instigate; to incite.