How to Write 镣 (liào) — Meaning “fetters or shackles”

Q: What is a good memory trick to remember 镣?

Imagine metal rings (钅) locking around your feet, and say "liào" like "leash" – a leash for your ankles. This helps connect the sound and the image of shackles.

Q: What should I watch out for when writing 镣?

Pay attention to the right side 尞: it has 11 strokes and is wider than the left 钅. A common mistake is to make the 尞 too narrow or to confuse the top part (大) with 天.

Q: How is 镣 different from 镆 and 镇?

镣 means fetters or shackles, while 镆 is a metal name used in the sword "Mòyé" and is very rare. 镇 means to press down or a town, and its right side is 真 instead of 尞, making the shapes distinct.

Q: When is 镣 used in modern Chinese?

镣 appears in words like 脚镣 (leg irons) and 镣铐 (handcuffs and shackles), mostly in legal or historical contexts. It’s not common in daily conversation but is known from prison-related descriptions or movies.

Q: What common words use 镣?

Common words containing 镣 include: 脚镣 (jiǎo liào) — fetters; leg irons; 手镣 (shǒu liào) — Handcuffs or shackles.; 镣铐 (liào kào) — shackles or handcuffs.

liào 17 strokes Radical: 钅

镣 (liào) means "fetters or shackles" in Chinese. It has 17 strokes with the radical 钅.

Rated 4.2/5 in difficulty (advanced).

Appears in 3+ common words including 脚镣 (jiǎo liào), 手镣 (shǒu liào), 镣铐 (liào kào).

Due to its 17 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 镣 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Practice Writing 镣 (liào)

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How to Write 镣

The character 镣 (liào) is written with 17 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 钅 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does liào (镣) Mean in Chinese?

镣 means fetters or shackles.

Character Data

Character	镣
Pinyin	liào (liao)
Meaning	fetters or shackles
Strokes	17
Radical	钅
Difficulty	4.2/5

Origin of 镣

This character is a phono-semantic compound. The radical 钅 (gold/metal) indicates that fetters are made of metal, while the right side 尞 (liào) provides the pronunciation. The original meaning refers to heavy metal chains or shackles used to restrain prisoners.

💡 Memory Tip: Imagine a prisoner wearing massive metal shackles that look like two chains (钅) with a small fire (尞 = firewood burning) coming from the locks, showing how hot and uncomfortable the fetters are.

Common Words with 镣

脚镣 jiǎo liào

fetters; leg irons

手镣 shǒu liào

Handcuffs or shackles.

镣铐 liào kào

shackles or handcuffs

Example Sentences

他戴着沉重的脚镣。

tā dài zhe chén zhòng de jiǎo liào

He is wearing heavy leg irons.

警察拿出了手镣。

jǐng chá ná chū le shǒu liào

The police took out the shackles.

镣铐限制了他的行动。

liào kào xiàn zhì le tā de xíng dòng

The shackles restricted his movement.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Radical
镣 (current)	liào	17	钅
镆	mò	15	钅
镇	zhèn	15	钅
镈	bó	15	钅

Practice Writing 镣 (liào)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 镣 with real-time feedback.

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Frequently Asked Questions about 镣

What are the components of 镣 and how do they relate to its meaning?

镣 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The left component 钅 (jīn) means metal, indicating that fetters are made of metal. The right component 尞 (liào) provides the pronunciation and hints at the idea of binding.

What is a good memory trick to remember 镣?

What should I watch out for when writing 镣?

How is 镣 different from 镆 and 镇?

When is 镣 used in modern Chinese?

What common words use 镣?

How to Write 镣 (liào) — Meaning “fetters or shackles”

Practice Writing 镣 (liào)

How to Write 镣

What Does liào (镣) Mean in Chinese?

Character Data

Origin of 镣

Common Words with 镣

Example Sentences

Similar Characters Comparison

Practice Writing 镣 (liào)

Frequently Asked Questions about 镣

Characters with Radical 钅

Other 17-Stroke Characters