诀

訣

jué

夬 + 讠

Definitions

jué to bid farewell; tricks of the trade; pithy mnemonic formula (e.g. Mao Zedong's 16-character mantra 十六字訣|十六字诀 on guerrilla warfare)

Etymology

Words 讠 said at a parting 夬; 夬 also provides the pronunciation

About

The simplified character 诀 (jué), from traditional 訣, is a phono-semantic compound. The left side 讠 (yán), the speech radical, indicates spoken words while the right side 夬 (guài) suggests a parting and gives the pronunciation. Its earliest meaning is a final farewell, especially parting words before death or permanent separation. Over time, it broadened to include rhymed formulas, incantations, martial arts techniques, and closely guarded tricks or secrets of a trade, traditionally passed down orally from master to student.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他记住了这个数学口诀。

Tā jì zhù le zhè ge shù xué kǒu jué.

He memorized this mathematical formula/rhyme.

成功的诀窍是坚持不懈。

Chéng gōng de jué qiào shì jiān chí bù xiè.

The secret to success is perseverance.

师傅把秘诀传给了徒弟。

Shī fu bǎ mì jué chuán gěi le tú dì.

The master passed the secret technique to the apprentice.

这是快速学习的诀要。

Zhè shì kuài sù xué xí de jué yào.

This is the essential method for rapid learning.

他们含泪诀别，各奔东西。

Tā men hán lèi jué bié, gè bèn dōng xī.

They parted forever with tears in their eyes, each going their separate way.

他未曾留下任何诀别之言。

Tā wèi céng liú xià rèn hé jué bié zhī yán.

He did not leave any parting words.

掌握诀窍后，工作效率大增。

Zhǎng wò jué qiào hòu, gōng zuò xiào lǜ dà zēng.

After mastering the knack, work efficiency greatly increased.

这部典籍记载了古代的养生诀。

Zhè bù diǎn jí jì zǎi le gǔ dài de yǎng shēng jué.

This ancient text records the secrets of health preservation from antiquity.

Related Characters

Component: 夬

Component: 讠

诀