It is a phono-semantic compound, formed from:


word, speech

 (“speech, words”) as the semantic element;


to call, to summon, to invite

 (so, “to summon, to call”) as the phonetic element.
The combination conveys the sense of formal words issued as a command or summons, hence the meaning of an imperial decree.

In modern Korean, 조 (詔) primarily appears in historical, literary, or classical contexts:
조서 (詔書) – an imperial edict, royal proclamation
유조 (遺詔) – posthumous edict
조명 (詔命) – imperial command
Unlike many other 

-radical characters, 詔 is not used in everyday Korean but remains tied to formal or historical vocabulary, especially in reference to royal or imperial orders.

Characters

Words

Vocabulary

to be false, to be incorrect, mistaken

to stammer, to speak slowly or haltingly, to be inarticulate

to look for, to seek, to visit, to ask, to inquire

establish

to permit, to approve, to allow

to appeal, to complain, to bring a lawsuit

medical examination, to diagnose

to annotate, to comment

an imperial edict, decree

words, lyrics, text

to test, to try, to examine

poem, poetry, verse

speech, story, to speak

to be proper, to correspond, to include, auxiliary verb meaning “should, ought to.”

detailed, complete, thorough

to record, to write down, to mark, to chronicle

to know, to recognize, to acknowledge, to admit

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Chinese character

Explore 214 Chinese radicals and their derived characters. Sort by radical or stroke count, and view the complete list of official Hanja radicals.

詔

Etymology

Usage in Korean

Neighboring characters in the dictionary