谒

謁
yè
verb #50,981

Meanings

  1. 1 (classical) to call on a superior; to pay a formal visit
  2. 2 (classical) to state; to report

Examples

HSK 7-9
Chén qǐng yè qí gù.
I beg to state the reason for it.

Tips

history
Not used alone in speech; it survives in literary compounds - 拜谒 (to pay one's respects) and 谒见 (to have an audience with). The right side 曷 is the phonetic, the same element in 喝, 竭 and 揭.
register
Formal and literary; everyday speech uses 拜访 for visiting someone.

Components

radical
讠 yán
speech; words
The speech radical 讠 is 言 in left-side form. It marks 谒 as a verbal act - formally announcing oneself to a superior.
phonetic
曷 hé
why; how (classical)
Supplies the sound. 曷 heads a large phonetic family read hē / jié / jiē / yè - 喝, 竭, 揭 - and lends the yè reading here.

Stroke Order

谒 yè