How to Write 诏 (zhào) — Meaning “Imperial edict; to summon by decree”

Imagine the emperor using a speech bubble (讠) to call (召) his officials — he summons them with a written imperial order. The left side looks like a speech bubble, and the right side contains 刀 (knife) above 口 (mouth), suggesting a commanding voice that carries authority. Think: 'The emperor speaks a summons with a sharp command.'

The radical 讠 has two strokes—a dot and a horizontal-turning stroke—and must be written narrow. The right component 召 begins with a short downward stroke (刀) followed by 口; be careful not to confuse the top part of 召 with 刀 (knife). Common mistakes include making the 讠 too wide or writing the 召 with an extra stroke in the upper part.

诏 (zhào) means 'imperial edict' and has the component 召 on the right, while 讦 (jié) means 'to expose someone's faults' and has 干 (gān) on the right. 讧 (hòng) means 'internal conflict' and has 工 (gōng) on the right. Visually, the right side of 诏 is more complex (召), whereas 讦 and 讧 use simpler, single radicals.

Today, 诏 mainly appears in historical texts, legal documents, or formal writing about imperial China, like 诏书 (imperial edict) or 下诏 (to issue an edict). It is not used in everyday conversation because modern China no longer has emperors, but you may encounter it in dramas, historical novels, or museum descriptions. The character carries a strong sense of ancient authority and formal command.

Common words containing 诏 include: 诏书 (zhào shū) — Imperial edict; imperial decree; 下诏 (xià zhào) — to issue an imperial edict; 诏令 (zhào lìng) — Imperial order; decree.