How to Write 纵 (zòng) — Meaning “vertical; to release; even if”

Picture two people (从) standing one above the other in a vertical line, holding a long silk thread (纟) between them. This image reminds you that 纵 means "vertical" and also "to let go" — like releasing the thread straight down.

Write the left radical 纟 first: a slanted stroke, then two small strokes on its right side. Then the right side 从: write the left "person" (撇, 捺, then a dot) and the right "person" (撇, 捺, dot) — keep both slim and evenly spaced. A common mistake is making the two "人" parts too wide, which ruins the vertical balance.

对比 纠 (jiū), which has 纟 + 丩 meaning "to twist or correct," and 纡 (yū) with 纟 + 于 meaning "circuitous." 纵 is visually distinct because its right side is 从 (two people), while 纠 has a hook-like shape and 纡 has a simple T-shaped element. In meaning, 纵 is about straightness or release, while 纠 is about entanglement and 纡 about winding.

纵 appears frequently in technical terms like 纵向 (zòng xiàng, "vertical/longitudinal") and 操纵 (cāo zòng, "to control"). It also has a common literary use meaning "even if" (纵使), but this is more formal. Culturally, 放纵 (fàng zòng, "to indulge") often appears in cautionary sayings about self-discipline.

Common words containing 纵 include: 纵向 (zòng xiàng) — vertical; longitudinal; 操纵 (cāo zòng) — to manipulate; to control; 放纵 (fàng zòng) — to indulge; dissolute.