茧 meaning and stroke order
Cocoon; callus, blister
How to write 茧, stroke by stroke
9 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 茧
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) cocoon
- (bound form) callus (variant of 趼[jian3])
- variant of 繭|茧[jian3]
How 茧 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A silk cocoon 艹 spun by a worm 虫.
Radical: 艹 (grass), shared by 421 characters on this site.
How to remember 茧
Picture a worm 虫 (chóng) under the grass 艹, wrapping itself in a silk case. The bug inside the soft covering is a cocoon, 茧 (jiǎn).
茧 is a bound form, so it usually appears inside words like 蚕茧 (cánjiǎn, silkworm cocoon) or 茧子 (jiǎnzi, callus). The callus sense is very common in daily speech. Example: 他手上都是茧子。(Tā shǒu shàng dōu shì jiǎnzi.) His hands are covered in calluses.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write the bottom as 由 or forget the hook on 虫, which makes the character unreadable. Also keep the third tone jiǎn, and do not confuse it with 简 (jiǎn, simple), which sounds the same but has the bamboo top ⺮.
Common words with 茧
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 茧子 | jiǎnzi | callus (patch or hardened skin); corns (on feet) |
茧 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 茧
How many strokes are in 茧?
茧 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 茧 mean?
茧 (jiǎn) means cocoon; callus, blister. A common word with it is 茧子 (jiǎnzi), meaning "callus (patch or hardened skin); corns (on feet)".
How do you pronounce 茧?
茧 is pronounced jiǎn, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 茧?
The radical of 茧 is 艹, which carries the idea of "grass". Dictionaries list 茧 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 茧?
The traditional form of 茧 is 繭 and 蠒. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 茧 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
What does 作茧自缚 mean?
作茧自缚 (zuò jiǎn zì fù) means to spin a cocoon and trap yourself. It describes someone who gets caught in trouble of their own making.
Can 茧 mean a blister from new shoes?
Not really. 茧子 is hardened skin that builds up over time, like on a guitarist's fingers. A fresh, fluid-filled blister is usually called 水泡 (shuǐpào).