锢 meaning and stroke order
To run hot metal through a mold; to confine, to restrain, to stop
How to write 锢, stroke by stroke
13 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 锢
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- obstinate disease
- to restrain
- to stop
How 锢 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. To forge 固 metal 钅; 固 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 钅 (gold), shared by 223 characters on this site.
How to remember 锢
锢 combines metal 钅 with 固 (gù, solid, firm). Picture molten metal poured into a crack and hardening solid, sealing something in so it cannot move.
锢 almost never appears alone in modern Chinese. It shows up mainly in the word 禁锢 (jìngù), meaning to confine or imprison, often used for ideas or the mind as well as people. Example: 旧观念禁锢了他的思想。(Jiù guānniàn jìngùle tā de sīxiǎng.) Old ideas confined his thinking.
Common mistake: Learners often write 固 alone when they mean 锢 in 禁锢, or mix it up with 铟 (yīn, the metal indium), which has 因 instead of 固. Remember that 锢 keeps the sound gù from 固.
Common words with 锢
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 禁锢 | jìngù | to confine; to imprison |
Questions about 锢
How many strokes are in 锢?
锢 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 锢 mean?
锢 (gù) means to run hot metal through a mold; to confine, to restrain, to stop. A common word with it is 禁锢 (jìngù), meaning "to confine; to imprison".
How do you pronounce 锢?
锢 is pronounced gù, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 锢?
The radical of 锢 is 钅, which carries the idea of "gold". Dictionaries list 锢 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 锢?
The traditional form of 锢 is 錮. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 锢 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 固 and 锢?
固 (gù) means solid or firm and is very common, as in 坚固 (jiāngù, sturdy). 锢 adds the metal radical and carries the narrower sense of sealing up or confining, mostly in 禁锢.
What does 痼 have to do with 锢?
The dictionary sense of obstinate disease for 锢 overlaps with 痼 (gù), which is the usual character in words like 痼疾 (gùjí, chronic illness). In modern writing, use 痼 for illness and 锢 for confinement.