How to Write 祚 (zuò) — Meaning “blessing; the throne”

Think of a spirit altar (礻) suddenly (乍) receiving a crown — this represents the blessing of the throne. Alternatively, imagine a sudden (乍) divine blessing (礻) that grants a ruler his reign.

The left radical 礻 has four strokes: dot, horizontal hook, vertical, dot. The right part 乍 starts with a left-slanting stroke (撇), then horizontal, vertical, and two horizontals. A common mistake is writing the left side like 衣 (which has five strokes) instead of 礻.

社 (shè) uses 土 (earth) on the right and means society or community, originally the god of the soil. 祀 (sì) uses 巳 (a snake/self) and means worship. 祚 (zuò) uses 乍 (sudden) and refers specifically to blessings or the imperial throne, not to gods or worship practices.

祚 is an uncommon, formal character found mainly in historical or literary contexts, such as 国祚 (guó zuò) meaning a dynasty's lifespan or national prosperity. It is rarely used in everyday conversation and carries a classical, solemn tone, often appearing in discussions of ancient imperial traditions.

Common words containing 祚 include: 国祚 (guó zuò) — Prosperity of the state / Reign of a dynasty; 祚命 (zuò mìng) — mandate of heaven; fate; 皇祚 (huáng zuò) — imperial throne / reign.