纖 meaning and stroke order
Fine, delicate; tiny, minute
How to write 纖, stroke by stroke
23 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 纖
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- fine
- delicate
- minute
How 纖 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Silk.
糹 gives the meaning and 韱 hints at the sound.
Radical: 糹 (silk), shared by 126 characters on this site.
How to remember 纖
The silk radical 糹 on the left tells you the meaning: silk thread is fine and delicate. The right part 韱 (xiān) gives the sound, so 纖 (xiān) is a thread as fine as silk.
纖 is the traditional form of 纤, and today it mostly appears in compounds about fibers or slender, delicate things. The most common word is 纖維 / 纤维 (xiānwéi), fiber. Example: 這種布是化纖做的。(Zhè zhǒng bù shì huàxiān zuò de.) This cloth is made of synthetic fiber.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes read 纖 with the sound of a different character that looks similar. Read it as first tone xiān, not qiān. In simplified Chinese 纤 can also be read qiàn in 纤夫 (qiànfū, boat tracker), but that reading does not belong to the fine, delicate sense of 纖.
Common words with 纖
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Questions about 纖
How many strokes are in 纖?
纖 is written with 23 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 纖 mean?
纖 (xiān) means fine, delicate; tiny, minute. A common word with it is 纤维 (xiānwéi), meaning "fiber".
How do you pronounce 纖?
纖 is pronounced xiān, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 纖?
The radical of 纖 is 糹, which carries the idea of "silk". Dictionaries list 纖 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 纖?
纖 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 纤, used in mainland China and Singapore.
How do you say dietary fiber in Chinese?
Dietary fiber is 膳食纖維 / 膳食纤维 (shànshí xiānwéi). You will often see it on food labels.
Can 纖 describe a person?
Yes, in words like 纖細 / 纤细 (xiānxì), slender or delicate, and 纖瘦 / 纤瘦 (xiānshòu), slim. These words often describe a person's figure or hands.