How to Write 讬 (tuō) — Meaning “To entrust or rely on”

Picture yourself saying to a friend, 'I trust you' while pointing to your toe (which sounds like 乇). The speech radical 讠 reminds you that it involves speaking, and the right side 乇 looks like a toe. This helps you recall that 讬 means to entrust or rely on someone.

Notice that 讠 uses only 2 strokes: a dot followed by a horizontal fold. The right side 乇 has 3 strokes: a left-falling stroke, a horizontal line, and a vertical hook that curves slightly left at the end. A common mistake is making the vertical hook too long or curving it wrong – keep it straight down and hook gently.

All three share the speech radical 讠, but the right sides differ: 计 has 十 (ten, for counting), 订 has 丁 (nail, for fixing an order), and 讬 has 乇 (for entrusting). In meaning, 讬 is about entrusting or relying, while 计 means to calculate and 订 means to arrange or order. Visually, the right side of 讬 looks like a small person with a bent leg, unlike the straight lines of 十 and 丁.

You may find 讬 in formal or written words like 讬付 (to entrust a task), 讬管 (to place in custody), and 讬词 (an excuse). It is not a common everyday character and is often replaced by the more frequent character 托 in simplified Chinese. Cultural note: In traditional Chinese, the character 託 is used instead, so recognizing 讬 helps if you read older texts.

Common words containing 讬 include: 讬付 (tuō fù) — To entrust something to someone; 讬管 (tuō guǎn) — To place in trusteeship or custody; 讬词 (tuō cí) — An excuse or pretext.