缴

• Pinyin: jiǎo
• Hanzi breakdown: 缴 = 纟(silk) + 敫 — to hand over, pay (originally related to binding/surrender)

Meaning

To pay; to hand in; to turn over. To submit payment or surrender something to an authority.

Formal term for submitting payments to organizations or authorities. Also used for surrendering weapons (缴械) or turning in items. More formal and specific than 交, often used in official or institutional contexts.

Examples

1. 请在月底前缴清水电费。 Please pay off the water and electricity bills before the end of the month.
2. 所有违规携带的物品都要缴上来。 All illegally carried items must be handed over.
3. 这个月的社保费用已经从工资里扣缴了。 This month's social security fees have already been deducted from the salary.

Usage Guide

Context: administrative, financial, institutional

Tone: formal

Do Say

• 税款必须按时缴纳。(Taxes must be paid on time.)
• 请把作业缴到老师办公室。(Please hand in your homework to the teacher's office.)

Don't Say

• 用'缴'描述付钱给朋友 (Don't use 缴 for paying a friend — it's for institutional payments; use 给 or 付 for personal transactions)

Origin & History

The character 缴 contains 纟(silk radical) and 敫 (phonetic/semantic component). Originally related to twisted rope for binding, evolved to mean handing over.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal