How to Write 截 (jié) — Meaning “To cut; to intercept; to sever.”

Imagine a bird (隹) flying through the air, and a warrior suddenly cuts it off using a spear (戈). This mental picture of the bird being intercepted helps you remember that 截 means to cut, intercept, or sever.

The left part (隹) is taller and narrower, while the right part (戈) is shorter and wider. A common mistake is making the 戈 too big or writing the bird part with uneven horizontal strokes; keep the left side balanced and the right side compact.

截 has a bird (隹) on the left, while 戟 has a different component (卓) on the left and means a type of weapon. 戠 has the sound component 音 on the left and is rarely used; visually, 截 looks like a bird and a dagger, not a table or a musical note.

截 appears in common words like 截止 (deadline), 截断 (to cut off), and 拦截 (to intercept), all indicating a stop or break. In Chinese culture, 截 is often used in formal or news contexts, for example when describing a deadline for submissions or a police interception.

Common words containing 截 include: 截止 (jié zhǐ) — Deadline; to close; to end.; 截断 (jié duàn) — To cut off; to sever; to interrupt.; 拦截 (lán jié) — to intercept.