How to Write 迮 (zé) — Meaning “Narrow; cramped”

Imagine a person walking (辶) through a very tight hallway, and suddenly (乍) they get stuck because the space is so narrow. The sudden feeling of being squeezed can remind you that 迮 means narrow or cramped.

First write the inside component 乍 (five strokes) completely, then add the 辶 radical (three strokes) last. A common mistake is making the 辶 too small or not extending its final stroke far enough to cover the 乍; the 辶 should wrap around the left and bottom of 乍.

迮 (narrow, cramped) differs from 巡 (xún, to patrol) which has a more open, repetitive movement meaning, and from 达 (dá, to reach) which suggests arriving or being open. Visually, 迮 uses 乍 inside, while 巡 uses 巛 (stream) and 达 uses 大 (big).

迮 is very rare in modern daily speech and mostly appears in classical or literary texts describing narrow spaces or oppressive conditions. You might encounter it in idioms or historical writings, but it is not commonly used in conversation, so learning it is more for reading classical Chinese.

Common words containing 迮 include: 迮狭 (zé xiá) — Narrow; cramped; 逼迮 (bī zé) — narrow and cramped; 迮 (zé) — Narrow; cramped.