How to Write 缒 (zhuì) — Meaning “to let down with a rope”

Imagine a person using a silk rope (纟) to chase (追) down a wall by lowering themselves. Picture the rope unrolling as the person descends — the combination of 'silk' and 'chase' helps you recall that 缒 means to lower something with a rope.

The left side 纟 has three strokes: a diagonal twist, a small hook, and a short horizontal. The right part 追 is tall, so keep the left side compact and centered; the bottom of 辶 (walk radical) must wrap around the lower part of 追. A common mistake is making the silk radical too wide or forgetting the final stroke of 辶 that extends to the left.

缒 (zhuì) specifically means to lower something using a rope, while 绠 (gěng) refers to a rope for drawing water from a well, and 绡 (xiāo) means raw silk or a thin silk fabric. Visually, 缒 has the phonetic component 追, whereas 绠 has 更 (gèng) and 绡 has 肖 (xiào).

缒 is mainly used in historical or literary contexts, such as 缒城 (to lower oneself down a city wall by rope) in ancient warfare stories. Today, you might find it in news about mountain rescues or rock climbing, but it is not common in everyday speech. The character carries a dramatic sense of careful descent using a rope.

Common words containing 缒 include: 缒下 (zhuì xià) — to lower down by a rope; 缒城 (zhuì chéng) — to lower oneself down a city wall by rope; 缒入 (zhuì rù) — to lower into using a rope.