How to Write 撙 (zǔn) — Meaning “to economize; to restrain”

Picture a hand (扌) holding a precious bottle of wine (尊 represents something respected or fine). You hold it tightly to avoid spilling any drops — this careful holding reminds you that 撙 means to economize or to restrain.

Pay attention to the right side 尊: write the top part (酋) first with two dots, then the horizontal strokes, and finally the bottom 寸. A common mistake is making the 寸 too big or misaligning it — keep it compact and centered under the top part.

Unlike 撙, which has 尊 on the right, 搋 uses a different right component and 搌 uses 展. Their meanings are also different: 撙 means 'to economize' or 'to restrain', while 搋 often means 'to rub' or 'to throw' and 搌 means 'to spread' or 'to wipe'.

撙 is a formal character found in written Chinese, especially in phrases like 撙节 (to economize, often used during financial tightening) and 撙养 (to recuperate health by careful management). It reflects the traditional value of thrift and is not common in everyday conversation.

Common words containing 撙 include: 撙节 (zǔn jié) — to economize; to practice thrift; 撙养 (zǔn yǎng) — to take care of one's health; to recuperate; 撙减 (zǔn jiǎn) — to reduce; to cut down (expenses).