綿 meaning and stroke order
Continuous, unbroken; cotten, silk; soft, downy
How to write 綿, stroke by stroke
14 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 綿
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- silk floss
- continuous
- soft
- weak
- mild-mannered (dialect)
How 綿 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A continuous thread 糹 of silk 帛.
Radical: 糹 (silk), shared by 126 characters on this site.
How to remember 綿
綿 (mián) puts the silk thread radical 糹 next to 帛 (bó), a piece of silk cloth. Picture a long thread of silk that keeps going without breaking, soft to the touch, and you have both meanings: continuous and soft.
綿 is the traditional form, and simplified Chinese writes it 绵. It rarely stands alone and usually appears in words like 连绵 (liánmián, continuous), 海绵 (hǎimián, sponge) and 绵羊 (miányáng, sheep). Example: 山脉连绵不断。(Shānmài liánmián bú duàn.) The mountain range stretches on without a break.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 绵 (mián) with 棉 (mián), cotton. They sound the same, but 棉 has the tree radical 木 and is used for cotton things like 棉花 (miánhua) and 棉衣 (miányī). 绵 has the silk radical and is used for continuity and softness, as in 海绵 and 连绵.
Common words with 綿
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Questions about 綿
How many strokes are in 綿?
綿 is written with 14 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 綿 mean?
綿 (mián) means continuous, unbroken; cotten, silk; soft, downy. A common word with it is 海绵 (hǎimián), meaning "(zoology) sea sponge; (esp.) dried sea sponge".
How do you pronounce 綿?
綿 is pronounced mián, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 綿?
The radical of 綿 is 糹, which carries the idea of "silk". Dictionaries list 綿 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 綿?
綿 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 绵, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Why does 绵羊 (miányáng) mean sheep?
绵 here describes the soft, fluffy wool, so 绵羊 is literally a soft-wool goat-type animal. It is the everyday word for sheep, while 山羊 (shānyáng) means goat.
What does 软绵绵 (ruǎnmiánmián) describe?
It describes something very soft, like a pillow or bread, and it can also mean feeling weak or limp, for example after an illness. The doubled 绵绵 adds a vivid, descriptive feel.