How to Write 谮 (zèn) — Meaning “to slander; to calumniate”

Imagine someone saying (讠) something that "pierces" like a needle (think of 昝 as a needle shape). When you see or hear the word 谮, picture a sharp tongue stabbing a person's reputation.

The right side 昝 has a top part that looks like 夂 (winter radical) but with a horizontal stroke across the middle. Be careful not to confuse it with 昜 (yáng, from 阳) — the bottom part of 昝 is 日 (sun) while the top has a distinct squarish shape. The total stroke count is 14, and the radical 讠 should be written first as two strokes (点,横折提).

谮 (zèn) means to slander or speak ill of someone secretly, while 谟 (mó) means a plan or strategy (as in 宏谟, grand plan), and 谠 (dǎng) means honest, straightforward speech (as in 谠言, frank advice). Visually, 谮 has the right component 昝, whereas 谟 has 莫 (mò) and 谠 has 党 (dǎng) — the shapes are quite different once you remember the right side.

谮 is very rare in everyday conversation and appears mostly in classical Chinese or formal historical texts describing political intrigue. It carries a strong negative connotation of malicious gossip that destroys someone's reputation, often in court or official settings. You may encounter it in idioms like 谗谮 (chán zèn, slander and backbiting) when reading Chinese history or literature.

Common words containing 谮 include: 谮言 (zèn yán) — slanderous talk; 谗谮 (chán zèn) — to speak ill of someone behind their back; 诬谮 (wū zèn) — to calumniate.