绞 (jiǎo) · to twist (strands into a thread), to wring

Meanings

1 to twist (strands into a thread)
2 to wring
3 to hang (by the neck); to strangle
4 to entangle

Characters

绞

jiǎo

to twist; to wring; to strangle

Examples

HSK 4

她绞干了毛巾上的水。

Tā jiǎo gān le máojīn shàng de shuǐ.

She wrung the water out of the towel.

HSK 7-9

他绞尽脑汁想办法。

Tā jiǎojìn-nǎozhī xiǎng bànfǎ.

He racked his brains trying to think of a solution.

Tips

usage

绞尽脑汁 is a very common idiom meaning 'to rack one's brains'. Literally: 'wring out all the brain juice'.

Components

radical

纟 sī

silk; thread (radical form of 糸)

Left-side silk radical - the side form of 糸, three knotted strokes evoking a small skein. It supplies the meaning: twisting strands and hanging by a noose are both rope-and-thread actions. The radical anchors 绞 in the cord family alongside 织 weave, 结 tie, 缠 wind, 缚 bind.

phonetic

交 jiāo

to cross; intersect

Right side 交 supplies the sound - jiāo shifting to jiǎo through a tone change. A strong semantic flavor leaks in: 交 pictures two legs crossing, and twisting threads (or ropes around a neck) is exactly that crossing motion repeated. Same phonetic appears in 较 compare, 饺 dumpling, 校 school.