衬 (chèn) - to line & to contrast

衬Tone 4

chèn ｜ 8 strokes ｜ radical: 衤

晨呈

衬 · chèn

to line;

to contrast;

lining;

undergarment;

to set off

to lineto contrastlining

Usage highlights

shirtliningto set offbackgroundundergarmentlining fabric

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • 主— main; primary (antonym to the supporting role sense)
  • 独立— independent (antonym to the complementary sense)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • This shirt needs a lining (衬里).
  • The red flowers contrast beautifully with the green leaves (衬托).
  • He is wearing a white shirt (衬衫).
  • This serves as a good background (衬底).

Collocations

  • shirt(衬衫)
  • lining(衬里)
  • to set off(衬托)
  • background(衬底)
  • undergarment(衬裤)
  • lining fabric(衬布)

Idioms

  • To set off each other's beauty(相映成衬)
  • To serve as a foil(衬托作用)
  • Contrasting colors(色彩衬映)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally referred to clothing lining, later extended to mean contrast or setting off.
  • In traditional Chinese aesthetics, contrast and harmony are important artistic principles where 衬 plays a key role.
  • The character combines the clothing radical with the phonetic component 寸, suggesting measurement and fitting.

FAQ