How to Write 嘱 (zhǔ) — Meaning “to enjoin; to urge; to tell”

Imagine a boss (属, like a supervisor) using their mouth (口) to repeatedly tell an employee what to do. The left side 口 (mouth) shows speech, and 属 looks like a figure giving instructions—so 嘱 means 'to urge or enjoin' with words.

Pay attention to the right side 属: it has 12 strokes and includes a small 口 inside, a 厂 on top, and a bottom part resembling 禹 but without the top stroke. A common mistake is to make the top of 属 too wide or to forget the small horizontal stroke inside the right component.

嘱 (zhǔ) focuses on verbal urging or telling, with the mouth radical. 㕡 (què) is a rare character meaning a crack or hole, often written with 口 and 隺; it is not used in daily Chinese. 喿 (zào) means noise or chatter, and combines three mouths (品) on top of 木, emphasizing loud sounds, not directed commands.

嘱 appears in common words like 嘱咐 (to tell or exhort), often used when parents remind children or doctors give advice (医嘱). It also appears in 遗嘱 (will or testament), which are formal written instructions for after death. Using 嘱 implies seriousness and a sense of responsibility in the message.

Common words containing 嘱 include: 嘱咐 (zhǔ fù) — to tell; to exhort; to enjoin; 医嘱 (yī zhǔ) — doctor's orders; medical advice; 遗嘱 (yí zhǔ) — Will; testament.