讎

It refers not to a general opponent, but to a deeply personal enemy, especially one bound by grievance, revenge, or blood feud.

A phono-semantic compound:

言 (말씀 언, “speech; words”) — semantic component

雔 (a pair of birds; “to match, to respond”) — phonetic component

Originally, the idea conveyed is “words exchanged in opposition” or “mutual verbal hostility.”

From reciprocal confrontation, the meaning developed into enmity, and eventually mortal or sworn enemy.

This reflects an early conception of conflict as something that begins in speech and escalates into lasting hostility.

怨讎 (원수) — sworn enemy; personal foe

讎敵 (수적) — enemy; hostile force (literary)

父讎 (부수) — one’s father’s enemy

世讎 (세수) — hereditary enemy

復讎 (복수) — revenge; avenging an enemy

讎 / 讐 emphasizes reciprocal hostility, often implies:

- long-standing grievance

- moral obligation to avenge

- inherited or familial hatred

This makes it stronger and more loaded than 仇.

Relationship with related characters:

仇 (원수 구) — common, general “enemy”

讎 / 讐 — deep, personal, often moral or hereditary enemy

In modern Chinese, 仇 has largely replaced 讎 / 讐, even though historically their pronunciations differed.

In Korean readings, this distinction is preserved (구 vs 수).

In North Korea, the character is read 쑤 (ssu) due to fortition.

In modern Chinese, the phonetic distinction between 仇 and 讎 has disappeared.

The character survives mostly in:

- classical literature

- idioms

- historical or moral discourse

Input methods and dictionaries often prioritize 讐 over 讎, despite official classification.

Classical citations:

《左傳》 (Zuo Zhuan)

「以德報怨，則何以報德？以直報怨，以德報德。」

“If one repays resentment with virtue, how then does one repay virtue? Repay resentment with justice, repay virtue with virtue.”

Contextual use of 讎 / 仇.

《史記》 (Records of the Grand Historian)

「父子之讎，不共戴天。」

“The enemy of one’s father is not one with whom one shares the same sky.”

Expresses blood-feud enmity.

《荀子》 (Xunzi)

「怨讎既解，天下乃平。」

“When grudges and enmities are resolved, the world is at peace.”

讐 (U+8B90)

Same components, different radical placement.

More commonly used in modern dictionaries and input methods.