縄 (shéng) - Rope & cord

縄Tone 2

shéng ｜ 15 strokes ｜ radical:

上姝

縄 · shéng

Rope;

cord;

string;

to restrain;

to bind;

to restrict;

also used in Japanese kanji as an alternative form of 繩 (rope).

Ropecordstring

Usage highlights

Straw ropeMeasuring ropeRope ladderRope patternTo bind with ropeRope skipping

Synonyms

  • 繩— rope; cord (standard Chinese form)
  • 索— thick rope; cable
  • 纜— hawser; cable

Antonyms

  • 解— to untie; to release
  • 放— to release; to set free

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He tied the package with a rope (縄).
  • The prisoner was bound with ropes (縄で縛られた).
  • This is a traditional Japanese straw rope (注連縄).
  • They used a measuring rope (測量縄) for the land survey.

Collocations

  • Straw rope(注連縄)
  • Measuring rope(測量縄)
  • Rope ladder(縄梯子)
  • Rope pattern(縄文)
  • To bind with rope(縄で縛る)
  • Rope skipping(縄跳び)

Idioms

  • Jōmon pattern(縄文)
  • To tie with a rope and punish(縄之以法)
  • Rope and wooden tools(縄枢)
  • To follow the rules and regulations(規縄矩矱)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • 縄 is primarily used in Japanese as the simplified form of 繩 (rope), while in Chinese 繩 is standard.
  • In Japanese culture, shimenawa (注連縄) are sacred ropes used in Shinto to demarcate purified spaces.
  • The character appears in 縄文 (Jōmon), referring to the prehistoric Jōmon period of Japan, named for cord-marked pottery.

FAQ