枕 meaning and stroke order
Pillow
How to write 枕, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 枕
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) pillow
- to rest one's head on (Taiwan pr. [zhen4])
How 枕 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Wood.
木 gives the meaning and 冘 hints at the sound.
Radical: 木 (tree), shared by 388 characters on this site.
How to remember 枕
枕 (zhěn) is a pictophonetic character: 木 (wood) on the left gives the meaning, and 冘 on the right hints at the sound. Picture an old-style pillow carved from a block of wood 木 that you rest your head on.
On its own 枕 is mostly a bound form, so in everyday speech you say 枕头 (zhěntou) for a pillow. As a verb it means to rest your head on something. Example: 他枕着胳膊睡着了。(Tā zhěnzhe gēbo shuìzháo le.) He fell asleep with his head resting on his arm.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes mix up 枕 with 沈 (shěn) or 忱 (chén), which share the 冘 part but have different radicals and meanings. Also note that the 头 in 枕头 is read in the neutral tone, zhěntou, not zhěntóu.
Common words with 枕
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 枕头 | zhěntou | pillow | HSK 7-9 |
| 同床共枕 | tóngchuánggòngzhěn | to share the bed; (fig.) to be married | |
| 高枕无忧 | gāozhěnwúyōu | to sleep peacefully (idiom); (fig.) to rest easy |
枕 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 枕
How many strokes are in 枕?
枕 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 枕 mean?
枕 (zhěn) means pillow. A common word with it is 枕头 (zhěntou), meaning "pillow".
How do you pronounce 枕?
枕 is pronounced zhěn, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 枕?
The radical of 枕 is 木, which carries the idea of "tree". Dictionaries list 枕 under this radical.
Is 枕 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 枕 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Why does Taiwan pronounce 枕 differently?
The dictionary notes a Taiwan pronunciation of zhèn (fourth tone), especially for the verb sense of resting your head on something. In mainland Mandarin it is read zhěn in all senses.
What does 高枕无忧 literally mean?
It literally means to sleep on a high pillow with no worries. Figuratively it describes feeling completely safe and relaxed, often used to warn that a situation is not yet safe enough to rest easy.