紋 meaning and stroke order
Line, stripe; pattern, decoration; wrinkle
How to write 紋, stroke by stroke
10 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 紋
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- line; trace; mark; pattern; grain (of wood etc)
- to tattoo
How 紋 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Thread.
糹 gives the meaning and 文 hints at the sound.
Radical: 糹 (silk), shared by 126 characters on this site.
How to remember 紋
紋 combines the silk radical 糹 (thread) with 文 (wén), which gives the sound. Picture threads woven into a cloth to form lines and patterns.
紋 means lines, stripes, or patterns on a surface, and it appears mostly in compound words like 花紋 (huāwén), 指紋 (zhǐwén), and 皺紋 (zhòuwén). Example: 他的臉上有很多皺紋。(Tā de liǎn shàng yǒu hěn duō zhòuwén.) He has a lot of wrinkles on his face.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 紋 with 文 (wén) because they share the same sound. 文 is about writing and culture, while 紋 is about physical lines and patterns, so write 指紋 for fingerprint, not 指文.
Common words with 紋
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Questions about 紋
How many strokes are in 紋?
紋 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 紋 mean?
紋 (wén) means line, stripe; pattern, decoration; wrinkle. A common word with it is 花纹 (huāwén), meaning "decorative design".
How do you pronounce 紋?
紋 is pronounced wén, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 紋?
The radical of 紋 is 糹, which carries the idea of "silk". Dictionaries list 紋 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 紋?
紋 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 纹, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Why do I see both 紋身 and 文身 for tattoo?
Both are used. 文身 (wénshēn) is the older standard form, and 紋身 is a common variant. You will see 紋身 often on shop signs and in everyday writing.
How do I say a striped shirt using 紋?
Use 條紋 (tiáowén), meaning stripe. A striped shirt is 條紋襯衫 (tiáowén chènshān).