諱 (huì) - Meaning, Stroke Order & Audio

諱

huì[hui4]Tone 4

to avoid mentioning, taboo word

HSK 7

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讳

Guru Deep Dive

English · to avoid mentioning, taboo word

Cached lesson

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Topology:Left-right

Strokes:16

Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (讠) takes up about one-third of the width, leaving two-thirds for the complex right component (韦). Keep components well-aligned horizontally.

Simplification Logic: The left side was simplified from 言 (speech radical) to 讠, while the right side 韋 was simplified to 韦.

1. Meaning

to avoid mentioning or doing something out of fear, respect, or taboo

taboo word or subjectthe personal name of a deceased emperor or superior (used respectfully in imperial times)

Verb / NounFormal / Literary#communication#social etiquette#history

Sample Usage

生老病死是人生常态，不必有所忌讳。
shēng lǎo bìng sǐ shì rén shēng cháng tài, bú bì yǒu suǒ jì huì.
Birth, old age, sickness, and death are normal states of life; there is no need to have taboos about them.
直言不讳
zhí yán bú huì
to speak bluntly without mincing words (idiom)

2. Sound

/[xweɪ̯⁵¹]/Tone: 51

諱

huìhui4

`(51)

=huì

Build the syllable

Step-by-step blending

hui

Tone mark placement: Tone mark sits on "i" per the side-by-side rule (in -iu/-ui the mark takes the second vowel).

Initial Consonant

Type: Velar Fricative

Sounds like: English 'h' sound as in 'hat'

Unaspirated

Airflow Tactile Test: Gentle throat friction (like fogging glasses on a cold day).

Tongue & Mouth Position: Glottal fricative with the tongue relaxed at the floor of the mouth.

Final Rhyme

Vowel Group: -i vowel group

Sounds like: rhymes with 'way' or 'hey'

Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'way'.

Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.

Abbreviated Rhyme Rule: ui is short for uei, so a subtle 'u' glide precedes the main 'ei' vowel.

Tone

T4 (51)

5 → 1 (51)

4th Tone (High-Falling)

Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 4 starts high and plunges straight down like an angry command ('No!').

👂

Listening trap: Confusing the initial 'h-' with 'f-' or failing to make the vowel a clear diphthong starting from 'u'/'o'.

👋

Physical Tone Gesture: A sharp, decisive nod downwards, matching the falling contour of Tone 4.

3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 16 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (讠) takes up about one-third of the width, leaving two-thirds for the complex right component (韦). Keep components well-aligned horizontally.

Simplification Logic: The left side was simplified from 言 (speech radical) to 讠, while the right side 韋 was simplified to 韦.

4. Components

Radical 讠 · Speech Radical (words, language, communication)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 讠 (indicates that the meaning relates to speech, words, or verbal taboos)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 韦 (original sound: wéi / huì)

Words (讠) connected to what is bound or restricted (韦) create the concept of a taboo or something you are bound from speaking about.

讠 speech / words
韦 bound / leather / phonetic clue

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

13· Phonetic Root: 韋

5. History

Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Combined from the speech radical (讠) and the phonetic/semantic component (韦), originally referring to names or words that were bound by custom or law not to be spoken aloud.

Semantic Evolution: Shifted from imperial name taboos to general verbal avoidances, secrets, and things considered taboo.

In ancient China, uttering the personal name of an emperor or one's parents was a grave crime known as '犯讳' (violating a taboo).

6. Sinosphere

🇯🇵

Kanji (Japanese)

On: キ / Kun: きう.ずる, いみ

🇰🇷

Hanja (Korean)

휘

7. Memory

Vivid Mnemonic Story

You use your **speech** (讠) to talk about a **bound** (韦) topic, but you stop yourself because speaking its name is a major **taboo** (huì).

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

韋

Phonetic Core (声旁)

偉

+ 亻 (person)

圍

+ 囗 (enclosure)

幃

+ 巾 (cloth)

Explore this family →

Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)

绘(huì)

Uses the silk radical (纟) instead of speech, meaning to draw or paint.

贿(huì)

Uses the shell/money radical (贝) instead of speech, meaning bribes.

8. Mastery

Active Recall Challenge

談論死者生前的私事是噹地的一個大[___]。

Clue: huì

Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing huì with similar sounding syllables like huī or huí, and mixing up the speech radical with the silk or money radicals.

Memory Prompts

Recognition: When you see 讳, what tone and meaning come to mind?

Production: How do you write the character for 'taboo' using speech and bound components?

諱huìto avoid mentioning, taboo word

Speed:

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