谀

諛

yú

臾 + 讠

Frequency#3925

Definitions

yú to flatter

Etymology phono-semantic

speech

Semantic: 讠 Phonetic: 臾

About

The character "谀", meaning to flatter, originates from its traditional form "諛", which combines the semantic component "言" (speech) with "臾" functioning primarily as a phonetic element. In the simplified form, "言" is replaced by the radical "讠", while "臾" is retained. Etymologically, "臾" contributes a sense of bending or yielding, reflecting the act of insincere praise embedded in the character's meaning. Over time, "谀" has consistently referred to flattery, though in classical usage it often conveyed stronger negative connotations of servile or obsequious behavior.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他反对阿谀奉承。

Tā fǎnduì ēyú fèngchéng.

He opposes flattery.

阿谀别人是不好的。

Ēyú biérén shì bù hǎo de.

Flattering others is not good.

她不喜欢谄谀的上司。

Tā bù xǐhuān chǎnyú de shàngsī.

She does not like a boss who flatters.

在职场中，阿谀奉承往往能带来短期利益。

Zài zhíchǎng zhōng, ēyú fèngchéng wǎngwǎng néng dàilái duǎnqī lìyì.

In the workplace, flattery often brings short-term benefits.

那位官员因接受谄谀而名声受损。

Nà wèi guānyuán yīn jiēshòu chǎnyú ér míngshēng shòu sǔn.

That official's reputation was damaged because he accepted flattery.

尽管他知道阿谀是虚伪的，但有时仍不得不为之。

Jǐnguǎn tā zhīdào ēyú shì xūwěi de, dàn yǒushí réng bùdé bù wéi zhī.

Although he knows flattery is hypocritical, he sometimes has no choice but to do it.

为了晋升，他选择了阿谀奉承而不是凭借真才实学。

Wèile jìnshēng, tā xuǎnzé le ēyú fèngchéng ér bùshì píngjiè zhēncái shíxué.

For promotion, he chose flattery instead of relying on genuine talent and knowledge.

在历史的长河中，许多王朝的衰败都源于臣子的谄谀和君主的昏庸。

Zài lìshǐ de chánghé zhōng, xǔduō wángcháo de shuāibài dōu yuányú chénzǐ de chǎnyú hé jūnzhǔ de hūnyōng.

In the long river of history, the decline of many dynasties stemmed from the flattery of courtiers and the incompetence of rulers.

Related Characters

Component: 臾

Component: 讠

谀