How to Write 桎 (zhì) — Meaning “Fetters / Shackles for the feet”

Imagine wooden shackles (木) that stop you from moving — the right side 至 sounds like 'zhi' as in 'halt' or 'stop'. Picture a prisoner's feet locked in a heavy wooden block, and you will remember that 桎 means foot fetters.

The left radical 木 should be narrow, with the horizontal stroke crossing slightly below the middle. The right side 至 has a short top horizontal, then a vertical slanted stroke, and a bottom 'soil' shape (土) — do not make the left 木 too wide or the right 至 too tall.

桎 (zhì) means fetters or shackles, while 杪 (miǎo) means treetop or the tip of a branch, and 杭 (háng) refers to a place name or means to sail. Visually, 桎 has 至 on the right, 杪 has 少 (few/small), and 杭 has 亢 (high/overbearing) — each component changes the meaning completely.

桎 is rarely used alone today; it appears mainly in the compound word 桎梏 (zhì gù), which means shackles or constraints, often in a metaphorical sense like 'mental fetters'. You might find it in formal writing or historical texts about ancient punishments or restrictions.

Common words containing 桎 include: 桎梏 (zhì gù) — Shackles / Fetters / Constraints; 桎槛 (zhì kǎn) — Prison cage or fetters; 桎拲 (zhì gǒng) — Handcuffs and fetters.