绢 (juàn) — thin, tough silk (used especially in traditional painting and textiles)
Definition
A fine, tightly-woven silk fabric used traditionally for painting and calligraphy. Distinct from 丝绸 (general silk cloth) by being thinner and more refined — closer to a canvas than a garment fabric.
noun
thintough silk (used especially in traditional painting and textiles)
Measure word · 块
Examples
- 绢。Tā zài yì fú juàn shàng huà le yì duǒ mǔ dān.She painted a peony on a piece of silk.
- 绢。Zhè fú gǔ huà yòng de shì sòng dài juàn.This ancient painting uses Song-dynasty silk.
- 绢。Tā bǎ qíng shī xiě zài juàn shàng sòng gěi le tā.He wrote the love poem on silk and gave it to her.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 絹; 绢 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìthread
Sound part声符shēngfú
肙
肙yuān絹juàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 絹 has 糸 (thread/silk) on the left and 肙 on the right for the sound; the simplified 绢 is a later shorthand.
Appears in
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.