织锦 (zhī jǐn) — brocade (silk fabric with woven patterns); silk picture-weaving (the craft or a woven silk artwork)

Definition

A traditional Chinese brocade — silk fabric with woven patterns, used for garments (e.g. 旗袍) and decorative artworks. The term covers both the textile itself and the craft of weaving it.

noun
brocade (silk fabric with woven patterns)silk picture-weaving (the craft or a woven silk artwork)
Measure word · 块

Examples

  • 织锦，。
    Zhè kuài zhī jǐn shì míng dài liú chuán xià lái de, fēi cháng zhēn guì.
    This piece of brocade has been passed down from the Ming dynasty and is very precious.
  • 织锦。
    Sū zhōu de zhī jǐn gōng yì yǐ jīng yǒu shàng qiān nián de lì shǐ.
    Suzhou's brocade craftsmanship has a history of over a thousand years.
  • 织锦，。
    Tā chuān le yí jiàn zhī jǐn qí páo, xiǎn de gé wài yōu yǎ.
    She wore a brocade cheongsam, looking exceptionally elegant.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

织zhīweave
锦jǐnbrocade

织 means weaving and 锦 denotes brocade, together naming the craft or fabric of weaving 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 織; 织 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìsilk
Sound part声符shēngfú
戠
戠zhí織zhī
Same sound today

The traditional form 織 uses 糸, silk, with 戠 for the sound. The simplified 织 is a later shorthand.

Open 织 →

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 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.