How to Write 絷 (zhí) — Meaning “to tie up; to fetter”

Imagine a person (the right part 執) being tied up with silk ropes (the left part 糸). The sound "zhí" is like "zip" — a zipper ties things together tightly. This helps you remember that 絷 means to tie up or fetter.

Write the left silk radical 糸 first with its three strokes: two diagonal curves and a dot. The right side 執 has nine strokes and should be slightly taller than the left side. A common mistake is making the left radical too wide or mixing up the order of strokes in 執.

Unlike 絷, 紊 (wěn) has the component 文 (pattern) on the right and means "disorder" or "chaos." 素 (sù) has a different top part and means "plain" or "white." Visually, 絷 contains 執 (a complex right side), while 紊 and 素 have simpler right or top parts.

絷 is quite rare and appears mainly in formal or literary contexts, such as 絷维 (to bind) or 拘絷 (to arrest). It is not part of the HSK vocabulary and is mostly found in classical texts or legal language to describe physical or metaphorical restraint.

Common words containing 絷 include: 絷维 (zhí wéi) — to bind; to tie up; 絷绊 (zhí bàn) — to shackle; to hinder; 拘絷 (jū zhí) — To arrest / to take into custody.