(zǔ zhòu) - to curse, a curse in Mandarin
zǔzhòuTraditional: 詛咒
Translation
to curse, a curse
Word origin
A compound of 诅 (zǔ, to invoke harm on someone) and 咒 (zhòu, an incantation or spell), both written with mouth or speech elements because a curse is spoken.
- Origin
- compound
- Root
- 诅 (zǔ, to invoke harm) + 咒 (zhòu, incantation)
Stroke order
诅
咒
Examples
。
The old witch cursed that king.
。
He feels that he has been cursed.
百。
The curse lasted three hundred years.
。
She cursed the downpour under her breath.
。
Do not put a curse on other people.
诅咒 (zǔ zhòu) is a curse in the supernatural sense: words spoken to bring harm down on someone, or the misfortune that follows. It works as a verb (诅咒他) and as a noun (一个古老的诅咒).
It also stretches to bitter, wholehearted cursing of a person or a situation, the kind muttered while stuck in the rain. That use is emotional rather than magical, but the flavour of wishing real harm stays.
The trap is English cursing. Swearing at someone, using bad language, is 骂 (mà), never 诅咒. Say 他骂我 for he swore at me. 他诅咒我 says he laid a curse on you, which is a rather bigger claim.
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诅咒: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "诅咒" (to curse, a curse): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 45.