How to Write 纾 (shū) — Meaning “to relieve, to alleviate”

Imagine a tangled silk thread (纟) that a person (予, picture the shape as someone with arms out) gently pulls to loosen it. This mental image of easing a knot directly connects to the meaning of relieving or easing a problem.

The right part 予 has four strokes: first a horizontal hook, then a horizontal fold, then a single continuous vertical fold with a hook, and finally a horizontal line. A common mistake is splitting the third stroke into two parts; practice it as one flowing motion.

纾 means 'to relieve', while 纠 (jiū) means 'to correct' or 'to twist together' and 纡 (yū) means 'to bend' or 'to twist'. Visually, 纾 has 予 on the right, 纠 has 丩 (like two hooks), and 纡 has 于 (a simple stroke with a hook).

纾 appears in formal or written contexts, especially in economics and social affairs. Examples include 纾解 (to ease, as in 纾解压力 'relieve stress') and 纾困 (to provide financial relief or a bailout). It is common in news reports but less frequent in casual conversation.

Common words containing 纾 include: 纾解 (shū jiě) — to relieve, to ease; 纾困 (shū kùn) — to provide relief, to bail out; 纾难 (shū nán) — to help someone out of trouble.