How to Write 缚 (fù) — Meaning “to bind; to tie up”

Imagine a silk thread (纟) being wound tightly around a bundle that a farmer (think of 尃 as a farmer with a cloth spread out) is carrying. This picture of a farmer using silk rope to tie up his goods helps link the sound 'fù' to the action of binding.

The left side 纟 is narrow and consists of two diagonal bends followed by a rising stroke; make it compact. The right side 尃 has a wide top part (like a short horizontal roof) and a balanced bottom, so avoid making the whole character too wide — keep the left and right close together. A common mistake is writing the right side too big or separating the two parts too far apart.

Although all three share the 纟 radical, 缚 means 'to bind' (as in tying with rope), while 绩 means 'achievement' or 'to spin thread' and 绪 means 'thread end' or 'beginning.' Visually, 缚 has the right side 尃, 绩 has 责, and 绪 has 者; their pronunciations and core meanings are entirely different.

缚 appears mostly in formal, written, or literary contexts such as 束缚 (restrain) or 绑缚 (to tie up securely). It is rarely used in everyday conversation but shows up in news, legal texts, or historical fiction that describe physical restraint or control. Cultural note: in classic martial arts novels, heroes are often 缚住 (tied up) by enemies, so the word carries a dramatic, visual feel.

Common words containing 缚 include: 束缚 (shù fù) — Restrain; 绑缚 (bǎng fù) — To tie up or bind securely.; 缚住 (fù zhù) — to tie up; to bind tightly.