How to Write 蹙 (cù) — Meaning “To knit (brows); to frown; urgent”

Imagine your foot (足) stepping on something that makes you feel sorrowful (戚), causing you to frown in pain or worry. This visual of "foot + sorrow" helps link the shape to its meaning of knitting your brows.

Pay attention to the crowded strokes in 戚, especially the small 小-like component inside. Avoid making the lower part too wide; the overall shape should be balanced, with the 足 slightly narrower than the 戚 below.

Unlike 踱 (to pace) and 踵 (heel), 蹙 specifically means to frown or be urgent. Visually, 踱 uses 度 (degree) and 踵 uses 重 (heavy), while 蹙 uses 戚 (sorrow), giving each a distinct semantic clue in its bottom part.

蹙 appears in literary or formal writing, most often in the common word 蹙眉 (to frown). It is not used in everyday conversation, but you might encounter it in classical poetry or news articles describing someone's worried expression or an urgent situation.

Common words containing 蹙 include: 蹙眉 (cù méi) — To frown; to knit one's brows; 蹙着眉 (cù zhe méi) — Frowning; with knitted brows; 蹙额 (cù é) — To knit one's brows; to frown.