How to Write 遵 (zūn) — Meaning “To follow; to obey.”

Imagine the right side 尊 as a person bowing respectfully (尊 suggests honor), and the left side 辶 as a road. Picture yourself respectfully walking along a rule or path — that is 遵, 'to follow' or 'to obey.' The sound zūn is the same as 尊, so it reinforces the connection.

The right side 尊 is wide and has three parts: 丷 on top, then 酉, and finally 寸 at the bottom. The 辶 radical on the left must be written last, with the dot first, then the zigzag stroke, and finally the curved sweep ending at the bottom. Make sure the 辶 encloses the bottom of 尊 slightly, not too tightly.

遵 (zūn) means 'to follow' or 'obey,' often rules or instructions. 遘 (gòu) means 'to meet' or 'encounter,' but it is very rare and only appears in ancient texts. 遛 (liù) means 'to stroll' or 'walk a pet,' used in casual contexts like 遛狗 (walk a dog). Visually, 遵 has 尊 on the right, 遘 has 冓, and 遛 has 留.

遵 is used in formal or written contexts to mean 'follow' or 'comply with,' like 遵守 (obey rules), 遵循 (follow principles), or 遵照 (act in accordance with). You often see it in laws, workplace guidelines, or instructions — for example, 请遵守交通规则 (please follow traffic rules). Culture note: 遵 has a sense of respect toward authority or tradition.

Common words containing 遵 include: 遵守 (zūn shǒu) — To abide by; to comply with.; 遵循 (zūn xún) — To follow; to adhere to.; 遵照 (zūn zhào) — To act in accordance with; to obey..