噩 è bad
bad; ill-omened; unlucky
How to remember 噩: 王 king + 吅 cry out + 吅 cry out = bad. All night a king with a huge sword chased the boy, who wakes up to cry out for his mum after a bad dream.
Component breakdown
噩 = 王 king + 㗊
- 王 king
- 㗊
- 吅 cry out
- 吅 cry out
All night a king with a huge sword chased the boy, who wakes up to cry out for his mum after a bad dream.
How it is used
- Literary, ill-omened: 噩梦 (èmèng) a nightmare, 噩耗 (èhào) the terrible news of someone's death.
- Bound and heavy in tone - reserved for genuine disaster or grief, not everyday bad luck.