衽 (rèn) - lapel & collar

衽Tone 4

rèn ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical:

仁荣

衽 · rèn

lapel;

collar;

front of a garment;

to tuck in;

to bed down;

ancient term for sleeping mat

lapelcollarfront of a garment

Usage highlights

lapel of garmentleft lapelright lapelto tuck insleeping matcollar and sleeves

Synonyms

  • 襟— lapel, front of garment
  • 领— collar, neckband
  • 席— mat, seat (for sleeping)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The lapel of the traditional garment (衣衽) was carefully embroidered.
  • She tucked in the blanket (衽被) before sleeping.
  • In ancient times, people slept on grass mats (卧衽).
  • The left-over-right collar style (左衽) was associated with certain cultures.

Collocations

  • lapel of garment(衣衽)
  • left lapel(左衽)
  • right lapel(右衽)
  • to tuck in(衽席)
  • sleeping mat(卧衽)
  • collar and sleeves(衽袖)

Idioms

  • To be bedridden due to illness(卧病衽席)
  • The distinction between civilization and barbarism(左衽右衽之分)
  • To die in battle(捐躯衽革)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Han Chinese clothing, right-over-left lapel (右衽) was the standard, while left-over-right (左衽) was associated with barbarian tribes or the deceased.
  • The character appears in classical texts describing proper attire and burial customs.
  • 衽 was also used for sleeping mats in ancient times, reflecting humble living conditions.

FAQ