How to Write 戢 (jí) — Meaning “To collect; to store; to cease.”

Imagine a warrior using a dagger-axe (戈) to 'collect' or 'store' a noisy mouth (口) into their ear (耳) to make it stop talking. This visual of forcing a mouth to be silent helps you remember 'to cease' and 'to collect'.

The left side 咠 is written first: horizontal, mouth (竖,横折,横), then ear (横,竖,竖,横,横). Then the right side 戈: horizontal, slanting hook, dot. A common mistake is making the ear too big or forgetting the dot on 戈. Keep the left side narrow and the right side wide.

戢 (jí) means to collect or cease, and has 戈 on the right. 戚 (qī) means relative or sorrow, and contains 戈 inside but with a different left part (尗). 戛 (jiá) means to strike or a spear, and has a completely different top (𦣻) with 戈 below. Visually, 戢 has the left component 咠 (mouth+ear), while 戚 has 尗 (bean-like), and 戛 has 𦣻 (head).

戢 is very rare in modern daily speech, mostly appearing in classical or literary contexts. It is used in phrases like 戢兵 (cease hostilities) in historical texts or 戢影 (hide one's shadow) in poetry. Culturally, it evokes a sense of restraint and withdrawal, reflecting traditional values of harmony and humility.

Common words containing 戢 include: 戢翼 (jí yì) — To fold one's wings; to stop flying.; 戢兵 (jí bīng) — To cease hostilities; to withdraw troops.; 戢影 (jí yǐng) — To hide one's shadow; to live in seclusion..