锦衣 (jǐn yī) — brocade clothes (literary term for luxurious silk garments)

Definition

Literary noun meaning 'brocade garments' — a set phrase for luxurious silk clothes, almost always used in writing about wealth or the palace, never in daily speech.

noun
brocade clothes (literary term for luxurious silk garments)
Measure word · 件

Examples

  • 锦衣，。
    Tā chuān zhuó jǐn yī, xiǎn de shí fēn gāo guì.
    He wore brocade clothes, looking very noble.
  • 锦衣，。
    Gǔ rén shuō jǐn yī yè xíng, yì si shì fù guì bù wéi rén zhī.
    The ancients said 'wearing brocade at night,' meaning wealth and honor unknown to others.
  • 锦衣。
    Zhè bù xiǎo shuō miáo xiě le huáng gōng lǐ de jǐn yī yù shí.
    This novel describes the brocade clothes and jade food of the palace.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

锦jǐnbrocade
衣yīclothes

锦 and 衣 combine to mean clothes made of brocade.

Characters in this word

Most 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 錦; 锦 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
帛帛bó
Sound part声符shēngfú
金
金jīn錦jǐn
Same sound today

The traditional form 錦 pairs 金, which gives its sound, with 帛, cloth.

Open 锦 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 衣 comes from an outline of the chest and upper clothing.

Open 衣 →

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