How to Write 谐 (xié) — Meaning “harmonious or humorous”

Imagine that when everyone (皆) speaks (讠) with the same voice, the result is harmony. Or think of a joke that makes all (皆) people laugh – that's humorous speech (谐).

The left radical 讠 should be written narrow and tall, while the right part 皆 must be wider. A common mistake is making 皆 too small or mixing up its strokes – remember 皆 has nine strokes (including 白 and 匕).

All three share the speech radical 讠, but their right parts differ: 谐 uses 皆 (all), 诫 uses 戒 (to warn), and 诬 uses 巫 (shaman). Their meanings also differ: 谐 means harmonious or humorous, 诫 means warning, and 诬 means to falsely accuse.

谐 appears frequently in 和谐 (harmonious) – a key value in Chinese society and politics, especially in the phrase 'harmonious society'. It is also used in 谐音 for puns or wordplay, and in 诙谐 for witty humor.

Common words containing 谐 include: 和谐 (hé xié) — harmonious; 谐音 (xié yīn) — homophone; 诙谐 (huī xié) — Humorous; jocular.