How to Write 诩 (xǔ) — Meaning “to boast”

Imagine a person flapping their arms like wings (羽) while loudly praising themselves (讠) — they are "spreading feathers with their speech." This visual of a boastful bird helps link the speech radical and the feather component to the meaning of bragging.

First write the radical 讠 (a dot followed by a horizontal stroke that turns down and hooks left) on the left side. Then write 羽 on the right: start with the top horizontal stroke, then the two diagonal strokes (like a small '习'), and finish with two symmetric dots below. A common mistake is making the right side too wide — keep it balanced and compact.

讲 (jiǎng, to speak/explain) has the radical 讠 on the left and 井 (well) on the right, meaning 'talk about something clearly.' 讳 (huì, to avoid mentioning) also has 讠 on the left but with 韦 (leather) on the right, meaning 'taboo' or 'to conceal.' In contrast, 诩 specifically means 'to boast' and always uses the right side 羽.

诩 is typically used in formal or literary writing, not in casual conversation. Common words include 自诩 (zì xǔ, to praise oneself) and 夸诩 (kuā xǔ, to brag), both carrying a slightly negative or critical tone. You might see it in news articles or essays describing someone who exaggerates their own achievements.

Common words containing 诩 include: 自诩 (zì xǔ) — to praise oneself; to brag (simplified); 夸诩 (kuā xǔ) — to brag / to boast; 诩 (xǔ) — to boast.