誨

The glyph centers on the transmission of knowledge or behavior, ranging from neutral instruction to moral exhortation:

1. Instructional: The straightforward teaching of a skill or fact.

2. Corrective/Admonitory: Urging someone toward a correct path or steering them away from an error; in stern contexts, this functions as "admonish."

3. Directive: External pressure applied through speech to produce a specific behavior (distinct from modern emotional support).

• Transitive Verb: Primary usage.
• Noun: Refers to the instruction, lesson, or teaching itself.

• vs. 教 (jiào): While both mean "teach," 教 is often an umbrella term for systemic education; 誨 tends to be more specific, referring to the actual words spoken by a mentor to guide or correct a student.
• vs. 諭 (yù): 諭 typically implies an official notification or explanation from a superior (e.g., an imperial edict), whereas 誨 is pedagogical and personal, suggesting mentorship or kinship.
• vs. 誡 (jiè): Both involve warning, but 誡 often denotes a stark prohibition or boundary; 誨 retains a sense of guidance intended for the subject's growth.

Simplified variant: 诲 (U+8BF2).

Avoid over-simplifying as "teach" if the surrounding tone is stern. In contexts of moral correction, "instruct" may be too neutral; consider "admonish," "urge," or "exhort."