How to Write 锩 (juǎn) — Meaning “to curl; to bend (metal)”

Imagine a metal wire (钅) that you roll up like a scroll (卷). The right part 卷 looks like a coiled shape, so picture taking a metal strip and curling it into a tight roll—this visual link helps you recall that 锩 means 'to curl or bend metal.'

Write the left radical 钅 first (five strokes: slant, horizontal, horizontal, vertical, horizontal), then the right part 卷 (eight strokes: two dots, a horizontal, two slashes, a horizontal hook, and two horizontal lines). A common mistake is making the right side too tall—keep the overall character balanced and compact, with the 卷 component slightly narrower than the left.

铐 (kào) means 'handcuffs' and has the phonetic component 考 (kǎo), while 铑 (lǎo) is a chemical element 'rhodium' with the phonetic component 老 (lǎo). In contrast, 锩 (juǎn) specifically means to curl or bend metal, and its right side 卷 hints at rolling or curling—a distinct meaning and pronunciation from the other two.

锩 is a specialized character mainly used in metalworking or blade maintenance, such as in 锩刃 for a curled blade edge or 锩边 for a rolled metal edge. It is not common in everyday conversation but appears in technical descriptions of tool damage or metal forming, especially when discussing the repair or sharpening of knives and tools.

Common words containing 锩 include: 锩刃 (juǎn rèn) — nicked or curled blade edge; 锩边 (juǎn biān) — to curl the edge; rolled edge; 锩曲 (juǎn qū) — to curl up; to bend.