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Written as 嚀 in traditional script, the simplified character 咛 combines the mouth radical 口 (kǒu) and the phonetic 宁 (níng), a simplification of 寧, which supplies the pronunciation. It means to enjoin, urge, or give repeated instructions, with 口 marking it as a spoken act. The structure directly evokes persistent verbal admonition. The character is used almost exclusively in the compound 叮咛 (dīngníng): giving careful, repeated advice, warnings, or instructions, often from an elder to a younger person.
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