衬 meaning and stroke order
Underwear, lining; in contrast
How to write 衬, 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.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
Meaning of 衬
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (of garments) against the skin
- to line
- lining
- to contrast with
- to assist financially
How 衬 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Clothes.
衤 gives the meaning and 寸 hints at the sound.
Radical: 衤 (cloth), shared by 72 characters on this site.
How to remember 衬
The left side 衤 is the clothing radical, so 衬 (chèn) is about garments, especially the layer worn against the skin. The right side 寸 (cùn) gives the sound, so think of a thin inner layer that fits close to the body.
衬 (chèn) mostly appears in words for shirts and in the idea of one thing setting off another. 衬衫 (chènshān) and 衬衣 (chènyī) both mean shirt, and 衬托 (chèntuō) means to make something stand out by contrast. Example: 他穿了一件白衬衫。(Tā chuān le yí jiàn bái chènshān.) He is wearing a white shirt.
Common mistake: Learners often write the left side as 礻 (the spirit radical) instead of 衤, but 衤 has an extra short stroke because it is about clothing. Also, the sound comes from 寸 (cùn) but 衬 is read chèn with a fourth tone, not cùn.
Common words with 衬
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
衬 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 衬
How many strokes are in 衬?
衬 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 衬 mean?
衬 (chèn) means underwear, lining; in contrast. A common word with it is 衬衫 (chènshān), meaning "shirt; blouse".
How do you pronounce 衬?
衬 is pronounced chèn, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 衬?
The radical of 衬 is 衤, which carries the idea of "cloth". Dictionaries list 衬 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 衬?
The traditional form of 衬 is 襯. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 衬 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 衬 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 衬 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 衬衫 and 衬衣?
Both mean shirt and are often interchangeable. 衬衫 (chènshān) usually suggests a collared shirt with buttons, while 衬衣 (chènyī) can sound a little broader and is common in northern speech.
Can 衬 be used as a verb by itself?
Yes. It can mean to line something or to set something off, as in 红花衬着绿叶 (hóng huā chèn zhe lǜ yè), red flowers set off by green leaves. In everyday speech it is more common inside words like 衬托 (chèntuō).