How to Write 织 (zhī) — Meaning “To weave or knit”

Imagine a piece of silk thread (纟) being pulled by a mouth saying 'zhi'—the right part 只 looks like a mouth. You can also picture two knitting needles (the two legs of 只) working with thread to create a sweater.

Write the left radical 纟 narrow with three strokes: two horizontal turns and a vertical hook at the bottom. The right part 只 should have a square mouth and two balanced legs. A common mistake is making the 纟 too wide or forgetting the hook.

The right components are different: 织 has 只, 纡 has 于, and 红 has 工. Their meanings also differ—织 means to weave, 纡 means to bend or twist, and 红 means red. Visually, focus on the right side to tell them apart.

You see 织 in daily activities like 织毛衣 (knitting a sweater) and in industries such as 纺织 (textiles). Culturally, 织女 (the Weaving Girl) is a key figure in the Qixi Festival story about a cowherd and a weaving maiden.

Common words containing 织 include: 织毛衣 (zhī máo yī) — To knit a sweater; 编织 (biān zhī) — to weave; to knit; 纺织 (fǎng zhī) — spinning and weaving, textile.