How to Write 戒 (jiè) — Meaning “To quit (a habit)”

Imagine two hands holding a spear (戈) to block yourself from doing something, like using a weapon to "cut off" a bad habit. You can also think of a ring (戒指) on your finger that reminds you to stop a habit, like quitting smoking.

The character has 7 strokes: start with 戈 (horizontal, slanting hook, left-falling, dot), then write 廾 (horizontal, left vertical, right vertical). Be careful that the slanting hook of 戈 curves smoothly, and the two vertical strokes on the right should be balanced and not too close together.

戒 has 廾 (two hands) on the right side, while 威 has 女 (woman) at the bottom and means "power" or "might". 戉 is an ancient weapon written as a single component without the extra hands, and it is rarely used alone. Visually, focus on the right part: 戒 ends with two vertical lines, not a woman or a simple weapon.

戒 is common in words for quitting habits, like 戒烟 (quit smoking) and 戒酒 (quit drinking). It also appears in 戒指 (ring), which originally was a warning item, and in 戒备 (to be on alert). Culturally, 戒 is used in Buddhist contexts for rules or precepts (戒律), showing self-discipline.

Common words containing 戒 include: 戒指 (jiè zhǐ) — Ring; 戒烟 (jiè yān) — To quit smoking; 戒备 (jiè bèi) — To be on alert.