How to Write 缄 (jiān) — Meaning “to seal / to close”

Picture a silk thread (纟) being tied around a closed mouth, because the right side 咸 looks a bit like a mouth with a line across it. This helps you remember that 缄 means to seal or close, as if sealing lips shut.

Write the left radical 纟 first with three strokes, then the right part 咸 with nine strokes. A common mistake is confusing the right part with 戌 (xū); make sure the inner component is a small mouth 口 with a diagonal stroke, not a hook.

缄 (jiān) means 'to seal' and uses the right component 咸, while 绠 (gěng) means 'a rope' and has 更 on the right. 绡 (xiāo) means 'thin silk' and uses 肖. Their meanings and pronunciations are completely different, so pay attention to the right side.

缄 appears in formal or literary words like 缄默 (silence) and 封缄 (to seal an envelope). It is not used in everyday conversation but can be found on envelopes or official documents to indicate a seal, carrying a sense of formality and finality.

Common words containing 缄 include: 缄默 (jiān mò) — silence / reticent; 封缄 (fēng jiān) — To seal (an envelope); 缄口 (jiān kǒu) — to keep one's mouth shut / to remain silent.