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纈 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
纈xiéknot; to tie a knotx, 21 strokes, radical 糹
xié(xie2) T2
  1. 1knot; to tie a knot
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

纈xié(xie2)

The character 纈 (xié) refers to a type of knot or the act of tying a knot. It is often used in contexts related to weaving or fastening objects together, particularly in traditional crafts or fishing. This character embodies the concept of securing or binding things tightly.

Strokes21Radical糹
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, knot tying is often associated with auspicious symbols, especially in traditional wedding ceremonies where decorative knots signify unity and love. The practice of knot tying has deep historical roots in Chinese craftsmanship.

Memory Tip

Imagine a fisherman tying a strong knot in his fishing line to secure his catch. The character 纈 looks like two strands of thread looping together, symbolizing the act of tying. The pronunciation 'xié' can be remembered by thinking of a 'knot' that 'shares' (sounds like 'share') the burden of holding things together.

Meanings of 纈

xié(xie2)
1knot; to tie a knot
Exercise 1 of 2

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About 纈

纈Simplified
21Strokes
糹Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 纈

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Podcast: 纈

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AI Study Notes for 纈

Usage Notes

This word is relatively formal and may not be encountered in everyday conversation. Be careful not to confuse it with similar-sounding characters or those used in different contexts, such as 结 (jié), which also means 'to tie' but is more commonly used. Common collocations include phrases related to knot-tying in crafts.

HSK Study Tips

While 纈 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, it connects to the HSK Level 6 theme of traditional crafts and practices. Students should focus on understanding characters related to tying and binding as they expand their vocabulary in this area.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 纈 with 结 (jié), mistakenly using 结 in contexts that require 纈. For instance, saying '我把绳子结起来' (I tied the rope) is correct, but if you are specifically referring to a specialized knot, you should use '纈'.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 纈

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Etymology of 纈

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

thread

Semantic (meaning)糹
+
Phonetic (sound)頡
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 纈

  1. 1The meaning half糹 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half頡 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaythread
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 纈? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 纈?

Decomposition of 纈

IDS Structure⿰糹頡
纈Full Character
=
糹si1
left
頡jie2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 纈?

How to say knot; to tie a knot in Chinese

“knot; to tie a knot” in Chinese is纈xié

The character 纈 (xié) refers to a type of knot or the act of tying a knot. It is often used in contexts related to weaving or fastening objects together, particularly in traditional crafts or fishing. This character embodies the concept of securing or binding things tightly.

When to use 纈

This word is relatively formal and may not be encountered in everyday conversation. Be careful not to confuse it with similar-sounding characters or those used in different contexts, such as 结 (jié), which also means 'to tie' but is more commonly used. Common collocations include phrases related to knot-tying in crafts.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 纈 with 结 (jié), mistakenly using 结 in contexts that require 纈. For instance, saying '我把绳子结起来' (I tied the rope) is correct, but if you are specifically referring to a specialized knot, you should use '纈'.

Write 纈

纈

Practice writing 纈 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Word Family of 纈

Words Containing This Character2
缬xiéknot纈
缬氨酸valine (Val), an essential amino acid纈氨酸
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 缬 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 纈

You can use it in a sentence like, '他用绳子把箱子纈起来' (He tied the box with a rope).

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