絲 (sī) - Silk — a fine, soft thread or fabric & anything silk-like in texture or appearance

絲Tone 1

sī ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

树檀

絲 · sī

Silk — a fine, soft thread or fabric produced by silkworms;

anything silk-like in texture or appearance;

a unit of weight in ancient China (1/1000 of a tael).

Silk — a fine, soft thread or fabricanything silk-like in texture or appearancea unit of weight in ancient China (1/1000

Usage highlights

Silk fabricSilk threadSpider silkSilk roadSilk wormRayon

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • 麻— hemp (coarse fabric)
  • 布— cloth (generic, often non-silk)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • She wore a beautiful silk dress (丝绸连衣裙).
  • The spider spun a delicate silk thread (蛛丝).
  • This fabric is made of pure silk (真丝).
  • A strand of silk (一丝丝绸).

Collocations

  • Silk fabric(丝绸)
  • Silk thread(丝线)
  • Spider silk(蛛丝)
  • Silk road(丝绸之路)
  • Silk worm(蚕丝)
  • Rayon(人造丝)

Idioms

  • As fine as a hair(细如发丝)
  • Ties that bind(藕断丝连)
  • Not the slightest difference(毫无二丝)
  • A single thread(一丝不苟)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Silk was a major Chinese invention and key export along the Silk Road, shaping global trade.
  • In traditional measurement, 'si' was a minute unit, giving rise to terms meaning 'trace' or 'bit'.
  • The character's structure visually resembles twisted silk threads.

FAQ