絮 (xù) - Cotton wadding & raw silk floss

絮Tone 4

xù ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

信嫣

絮 · xù

Cotton wadding;

raw silk floss;

to talk tediously and endlessly;

long-winded.

Cotton waddingraw silk flossto talk tediously and endlessly

Usage highlights

Cotton waddingWillow catkinsLongTo nagBroken talkSilk floss

Synonyms

  • 棉— cotton (material)
  • 聒— noisy, clamorous (for the nagging sense)

Antonyms

  • 简— simple, brief (antonym to long-winded)
  • 默— silent (antonym to talkative)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The quilt is stuffed with cotton wadding (棉絮).
  • She gave a long-winded speech (絮絮叨叨).
  • Willow catkins drift in the spring air (柳絮).
  • He kept nagging about the same thing (絮聒).

Collocations

  • Cotton wadding(棉絮)
  • Willow catkins(柳絮)
  • Long-winded talk(絮叨)
  • To nag(絮聒)
  • Broken talk(絮语)
  • Silk floss(丝絮)

Idioms

  • Endless nagging(絮絮叨叨)
  • Willow catkins and talented scholars(絮才)
  • Floating catkins and fallen petals(絮影萍踪)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese culture, willow catkins (柳絮) are a common poetic image symbolizing the fleeting nature of spring and sentimental parting.
  • The character carries both positive connotations (softness, warmth of cotton) and negative ones (tediousness in speech).
  • In names, it can evoke qualities of softness, gentleness, and refinement, though careful pairing is needed to avoid the 'long-winded' connotation.

FAQ