Character Hui

It grew from name avoidance in ritual and political hierarchy.

The practice is usually traced to the Western Zhou. In the Shangshu's Jin Teng prayer, Zhou Gong writes 某 in place of King Wu's personal name. Saying a ruler's name directly was treated as a breach of ritual order, not as a spelling choice.

By Qin times, avoidance was already reshaping ordinary writing: 端 could replace 正 to skirt Qin Shi Huang's name. Later writers used substitutes, blank spaces, or missing strokes; Tang evidence includes altered popular character shapes, a branch that faded after the Song as printing and taboo practice changed.

What does 讳 mean in modern Chinese?

It signals deliberate avoidance, concealment, or a taboo name.

Read the words around it. In 讳言 it marks an avoided subject; in 名讳 it points to a respected or deceased person's name; in 直言不讳, 不讳 flips avoidance into frank speech. 讳莫如深 extends the idea to keeping a serious matter hidden.

That split matters when you receive it. A lone 讳 is formal and context-poor, so ask for the full phrase instead of guessing that the sender is refusing you.

Is 讳 just simplified 諱?

Yes — same word, simplified spelling.

The traditional form is 諱; Japanese kanji references retain the related readings いむ, “to avoid,” and いみな, “taboo name.” The shape changes with the writing system, while the old name-taboo sense stays visible.