錦 meaning and stroke order
Brocade, tapestry; embroidered
How to write 錦, stroke by stroke
16 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 錦
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- brocade
- embroidered work
- bright
How 錦 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Silk 帛 inlaid with gold 釒; 釒 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 釒 (gold), shared by 135 characters on this site.
How to remember 錦
On the left is 釒, the metal radical meaning gold, and on the right is 帛 (bó), silk. Silk woven with gold thread gives you 錦 (jǐn), a rich, shiny brocade.
錦 (simplified 锦) appears mostly in set words and idioms rather than on its own. It suggests something fine, colorful, or splendid, as in 锦标赛 (jǐnbiāosài, championships) or 什锦 (shíjǐn, assorted). Example: 祝你前程似锦。(Zhù nǐ qiánchéng sì jǐn.) I wish you a bright future.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write the right side as 帝 or 布 instead of 帛, which is 白 on top of 巾. Also keep the third tone in jǐn and do not confuse it with 金 (jīn, gold) or 紧 (jǐn, tight).
Common words with 錦
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Questions about 錦
How many strokes are in 錦?
錦 is written with 16 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 錦 mean?
錦 (jǐn) means brocade, tapestry; embroidered. A common word with it is 锦旗 (jǐnqí), meaning "silk banner (as an award or gift)".
How do you pronounce 錦?
錦 is pronounced jǐn, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 錦?
The radical of 錦 is 釒, which carries the idea of "gold". Dictionaries list 錦 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 錦?
錦 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 锦, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What does the idiom 锦上添花 mean?
锦上添花 (jǐn shàng tiān huā) literally means adding flowers to brocade. It describes making something already good even better, like extra good news on a happy day.
Why is 什锦 used on menus?
什锦 (shíjǐn) means a mix of many kinds, so it marks assorted dishes. For example, 什锦炒饭 (shíjǐn chǎofàn) is mixed fried rice with several ingredients.