诏 (zhào) — imperial edict, imperial decree (bound form, used in historical/literary contexts)
Definition
A bound historical/literary noun meaning 'imperial edict' — only appears in compounds like 诏书, 诏令, and never stands alone in modern Chinese.
bound form
imperial edictimperial decree (bound form, used in historical/literary contexts)
Examples
- 诏。Huáng dì xià zhào xuān bù dà shè tiān xià.The emperor issued an edict announcing a general amnesty.
- 诏。Zhè fèn zhào shū bǎo cún zài bó wù guǎn lǐ.This imperial decree is preserved in the museum.
- 诏。Gǔ dài huáng dì cháng yǐ zhào lìng zhì guó.Ancient emperors often ruled the country by imperial decrees.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 詔; 诏 is its simplified writing.
诏 is written 詔 in the traditional form, where 言 (word; speech) shows the meaning and 召 gives the sound.
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