絹 (juàn) - silk & thin but tough silk fabric

絹Tone 4

juàn ｜ 13 strokes ｜ radical:

傑君

絹 · juàn

silk;

thin but tough silk fabric;

silk cloth.

silkthin but tough silk fabricsilk cloth.

Usage highlights

silk fabricsilk paintingsilk handkerchiefsilk productsraw silksilk thread

Synonyms

  • 绸— silk fabric
  • 缎— satin
  • 帛— silk (archaic)

Antonyms

  • 麻— hemp, coarse fabric
  • 布— cloth, cotton fabric

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • She bought a silk handkerchief (绢手帕).
  • This painting is on silk (绢本).
  • The ancient scroll was made of silk (绢帛).
  • Silk fabrics were valuable trade goods (绢织品).

Collocations

  • silk fabric(绢帛)
  • silk painting(绢画)
  • silk handkerchief(绢手帕)
  • silk products(绢制品)
  • raw silk(生绢)
  • silk thread(绢丝)

Idioms

  • Not a single thread of silk(不丝一线)
  • Silk from Wu and satin from Shu(吴绢蜀锦)
  • Silk and bamboo instruments(丝竹管弦)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically used as a writing material before paper became widespread.
  • Silk was an important commodity on the Silk Road, representing Chinese luxury goods.
  • Associated with fine arts, particularly traditional Chinese painting on silk.

FAQ