How to Write 谆 (zhūn) — Meaning “Earnest; tireless (in teaching)”

Imagine a teacher (讠) who keeps saying 'zhūn zhūn' while teaching a child (子) with a mouth (口) — the right side 享 literally shows a child under words. You can also think of 'zhūn' sounding like 'soon' but with a 'z,' as if the teacher says 'you will learn soon' again and again.

Write the left radical 讠 first (dot, then horizontal fold with vertical end), then the right side 享: top 亠 (dot, horizontal), middle 口 (vertical, horizontal fold, horizontal), bottom 子 (horizontal fold, horizontal, vertical hook). Make sure the 子 is centered and not too wide, and keep the overall shape balanced left to right.

谆 (zhūn) means 'earnest teaching' and has 享 on the right, while 诓 (kuāng) means 'to deceive' and has 匡 (a box shape) on the right. 诔 (lěi) means 'eulogy' and has 耒 (like a plow) on the right. Visual difference: 谆's right side has a mouth and child, 诓 has a square frame, and 诔 has extra horizontal strokes.

谆 appears mainly in formal or literary phrases like 谆谆教导 (zhūn zhūn jiào dǎo, 'earnest teachings') and 谆嘱 (zhūn zhǔ, 'to urge repeatedly'). It is often used to describe the patient, repetitive instruction of teachers or parents, especially in Confucian-influenced contexts that value diligent education. You will rarely hear it in daily conversation, but it is common in written articles about mentorship.

Common words containing 谆 include: 谆谆教导 (zhūn zhūn jiào dǎo) — earnest teachings; 谆嘱 (zhūn zhǔ) — To enjoin earnestly; to urge repeatedly; 谆谆 (zhūn zhūn) — Earnestly and tirelessly.