诏

詔

zhào

召 + 讠

Definitions

zhào (literary) to admonish; (bound form) imperial edict

Etymology

To issue 讠 a decree 召; 召 also provides the pronunciation

About

诏 (traditional 詔) is a phono-semantic compound: 讠, simplified from 言, conveys 'speech', while 召 means 'to summon' and serves as the phonetic element. The components together suggest delivering a spoken command or decree. Originally, the character meant to instruct or formally proclaim. In the context of imperial governance, it specialized to refer exclusively to an edict, decree, or mandate issued by the emperor, an instrument of supreme authority. Thus, 诏 became firmly associated with authoritative state documents and royal pronouncements, a shift that narrowed its meaning from any verbal instruction to the formal expression of the emperor's will.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Late Warring States (~250 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Cao Wei (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

皇帝颁布了诏书。

Huángdì bānbù le zhàoshū.

The emperor issued an imperial edict.

诏书的内容很详细。

Zhàoshū de nèiróng hěn xiángxì.

The content of the imperial edict is very detailed.

皇帝发布了新的诏令。

Huángdì fābù le xīn de zhàolìng.

The emperor issued a new imperial decree.

昨天，皇宫里传出了诏书。

Zuótiān, huánggōng lǐ chuánchū le zhàoshū.

Yesterday, an imperial edict was announced from the palace.

因为战事紧急，皇帝急忙下诏。

Yīnwèi zhànshì jǐnjí, huángdì jímáng xià zhào.

Because the war was urgent, the emperor hastily issued an edict.

诏书一到，官员们立即跪接。

Zhàoshū yī dào, guānyuánmen lìjí guì jiē.

As soon as the imperial edict arrived, the officials immediately knelt to receive it.

皇帝在诏中宣布了大赦天下的决定。

Huángdì zài zhào zhōng xuānbù le dàshè tiānxià de juédìng.

In the edict, the emperor announced the decision to grant amnesty to the world.

尽管诏令已颁，但各地诸侯并未完全遵从。

Jǐnguǎn zhàolìng yǐ bān, dàn gèdì zhūhóu bìng wèi wánquán zūncóng.

Although the imperial decree had been issued, the feudal lords in various regions did not fully comply.

Related Characters

Component: 召

Component: 讠

诏