How to Write 束 (shù) — Meaning “bundle; to bind”

Imagine tying a rope around a wooden stick (木) to make a bundle. The horizontal line in the middle acts like the rope squeezing the tree, helping you recall both the shape and the meaning of 'binding.'

Write the top horizontal stroke first, then the entire 木 structure: vertical stroke, then left and right diagonals. Finally, add the middle horizontal stroke that passes through the vertical, making sure it is centered and does not extend beyond the left and right lines of the 口-like enclosure.

束 has a fully enclosed structure with a horizontal line through the middle of 木, while 未 (wèi, not yet) has a short top horizontal and longer bottom stroke, and 末 (mò, tip/end) has a long top horizontal and shorter bottom stroke. In 束, the middle line crosses the vertical, but in 未 and 末 the top line does not fully cross.

束 is common in words like 结束 (to end, literally 'tie up and finish') and 约束 (to restrain, 'tighten and bind'). It appears in phrases like 一束花 (a bouquet of flowers), where it indicates a tied bunch, reflecting its core idea of gathering and fastening things together.

Common words containing 束 include: 结束 (jié shù) — To end or finish.; 一束花 (yī shù huā) — a bouquet of flowers; 约束 (yuē shù) — To restrain / To bind.