How to Write 絜 (jié) — Meaning “clean; pure”

Imagine you are cutting a tangled silk thread with a knife (㓞) to make it clean and pure. The picture of a knife slicing through messy silk helps you remember both the shape and the meaning.

Write the top part 㓞 first (6 strokes), then the bottom 糸 (6 strokes). Keep the top part compact and centered above the silk radical, and be careful not to make the vertical hook in 㓞 too long or tilted.

紊 (wěn, disorderly) has 文 (wén, literature) on top, while 絜 has 㓞 (cutting). 素 (sù, plain/white) has 生 (shēng, life) on top. Visually, the top components are different, and the meanings contrast: 絜 is clean, 紊 is messy, and 素 is uncolored.

絜 is rare in daily conversation but appears in literary or classical texts, such as 絜矩 (a rule of conduct in Confucian philosophy). The term 絜矩 teaches people to measure others by the same standard they use for themselves, similar to the "golden rule."

Common words containing 絜 include: 絜静 (jié jìng) — clean and quiet; pure; 絜矩 (jié jǔ) — standard; rule of conduct; 廉絜 (lián jié) — honest and clean.