咒 (zhòu) is a Chinese character meaning “an incantation or spell that is chanted”. It is written from 吅 (two mouths side by side; clamour) and 几 (small table; how many), one above the other, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “an incantation chanted aloud; to curse”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
吅 + 几
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 八笔字形核验：第1–3笔与第4–6笔各构成一个「口」（并排即「吅」），第7–8笔构成「几」。只描述现代字形拆分，不主张字源。
Memory aid
Two mouths (吅) saying the same words over and over above a small table (几): a spell only works if it is chanted again and again.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 咒语zhòu yǔincantation; magic spell咒 = zhòu
- 诅咒zǔ zhòuto curse; to put a curse on someone咒 = zhòu
Go deeper
All readings
incantation; curse
an incantation or spell that is chanted; to curse someone
念诵的法术语句；也指说使人遭殃的话。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 咒语zhòu yǔincantation; magic spell咒 = zhòu
- 诅咒zǔ zhòuto curse; to put a curse on someone咒 = zhòu
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 咒 mean?
咒 (zhòu) means an incantation or spell that is chanted; to curse someone.
How do you pronounce 咒?
It is pronounced zhòu.
What parts is 咒 made of?
吅 (two mouths side by side; clamour) and 几 (small table; how many), one above the other. The recorded source is: hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 八笔字形核验：第1–3笔与第4–6笔各构成一个「口」（并排即「吅」），第7–8笔构成「几」。只描述现代字形拆分，不主张字源。. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 咒 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 咒?
口. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 咒?
Common ones are 咒语 and 诅咒. The reading of 咒 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.