How to Write 纥 (gē/hé) — Meaning “Knot / Tassel”

Imagine a piece of silk (纟) that has been tied into a small knot, and the right side 乞 looks like a person begging with a rope tied around their hand. This visual helps associate the character with a knot or tassel.

The left radical 纟 has three strokes; the last stroke is a rising diagonal (提) that should angle upward to the right. The right part 乞 ends with a curved hook (横折弯钩) — make sure the hook curves smoothly, not too straight or angular.

纥 (gē) means knot or tassel, while 纠 (jiū) means to correct or entangle, and 纡 (yū) means circuitous or winding. Visually, 纥's right side is 乞 with a hook, 纠's right is 丩 (like two crossed lines), and 纡's right is 于 (a simple T shape).

纥 is rarely used alone today; it appears mainly in historical terms like 回纥 (Huíhé), referring to an ancient Turkic ethnic group that later became the Uyghurs. It also appears in words like 纥纥 (knotty) and 纥络 (net or mesh), but these are uncommon.

Common words containing 纥 include: 回纥 (huí hé) — Uyghur (ancient ethnic group).; 纥纥 (gē gē) — Knotty / Rough; 纥络 (gē luò) — Net / Mesh.