殮 (liàn) - To enshroud a corpse & to lay a body in a coffin

殮Tone 4

liàn ｜ 17 strokes ｜ radical:

俊梁

殮 · liàn

To enshroud a corpse;

to lay a body in a coffin;

to prepare a body for burial.

To enshroud a corpseto lay a body in a coffinto prepare a body for burial.

Usage highlights

Encoffin the deceasedFuneral and burial arrangementsDress and prepare the bodyReceive and prepare the bodyFuneral parlorCoffin and burial preparations

Synonyms

  • 葬— to bury; interment
  • 埋— to bury; inter

Antonyms

  • 生— life; living
  • 活— alive; living

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The family prepared to encoffin the deceased (入殮).
  • The funeral home staff performed the final preparations (殮葬).
  • He was dressed in his best suit for the final viewing (裝殮).
  • The coffin was sealed after the ceremony (收殮).

Collocations

  • Encoffin the deceased(入殮)
  • Funeral and burial arrangements(殮葬)
  • Dress and prepare the body(裝殮)
  • Receive and prepare the body(收殮)
  • Funeral parlor(殯殮所)
  • Coffin and burial preparations(棺殮)

Idioms

  • To dress the corpse and bury the coffin(殮葬安厝)
  • To dress the body and close the coffin(殮衾棺椁)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese culture, proper handling of the deceased is considered a crucial act of filial piety.
  • The character appears almost exclusively in funerary contexts and carries strong associations with death.
  • Buddhist and Taoist rituals often include specific procedures for preparing the body before burial or cremation.

FAQ