How to Write 谘 (zī) — Meaning “to consult”

Imagine you are at a consultation and you need to speak (讠) to a person named Zi (咨). The right side 咨 looks like a person (次) with a mouth (口), so picture yourself asking Zi for advice. This reminds you that 谘 means 'to consult.'

The left radical 讠 (speech) is written first with two strokes. The right side 咨 has nine strokes; pay attention to the top part 次 (cì) where the second stroke of 冫 is a dot, and the bottom is 口 (kǒu). A common mistake is making the left side too wide; keep it narrow so the right side has enough space.

谘 (zī) means 'to consult' and uses the speech radical 讠. 诫 (jiè) means 'to warn' or 'admonish' and also has 讠 but with 戒 (jiè). 诬 (wū) means 'to slander' or 'accuse falsely' and has 讠 with 巫 (wū). The key difference is the right-side component, which changes the meaning entirely.

谘 is most common in formal or written contexts, such as in 谘询 (zīxún, 'to consult' or 'inquiry') and 谘商 (zīshāng, 'counseling' or 'consultation'). It appears in business, legal, or academic settings, like seeking professional advice. The character is less common in daily conversation, where 问 (wèn) or 请教 (qǐngjiào) might be used instead.

Common words containing 谘 include: 谘询 (zī xún) — to consult or inquire; 谘商 (zī shāng) — counseling or consultation; 谘议 (zī yì) — to deliberate or consult.