Meaning of 棉
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- generic term for cotton or kapok
- cotton
- padded or quilted with cotton
How to use 棉
On its own 棉 often appears in labels and compounds about material, such as 棉衣 (miányī, padded cotton jacket) or 纯棉 (chúnmián, pure cotton). For the cotton plant or raw cotton fluff, people usually say 棉花 (miánhuā). Example: 这件衬衫是纯棉的。(Zhè jiàn chènshān shì chúnmián de.) This shirt is pure cotton.
棉 (mián) puts 木 (mù, tree or plant) next to 帛 (bó, silk cloth). Think of a plant that gives you soft, cloth-like fiber, which is cotton.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 棉 (mián) with 绵 (mián), which has the silk radical 纟 and appears in words like 绵羊 (miányáng, sheep) and 连绵 (liánmián, continuous). Same sound, different meaning, so check the left side: 木 for cotton, 纟 for soft or continuous.
棉 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
棉 mián · generic term for cotton or kapok · 12 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 棉.
| 棉花 | miánhuā | cotton |
| 卫生棉 | wèishēngmián | sterilized absorbent cotton wool (used for dressings or cleansing wounds); (Tw) sanitary n |
| 木棉 | mùmián | cotton tree (Bombax ceiba) |
Questions about 棉
What does 棉 mean?
棉 (mián) means "generic term for cotton or kapok; cotton" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 棉?
棉 is made of 1 character: 棉 (12 strokes). That is 12 strokes in total.
Is 棉 an HSK word?
Yes. 棉 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
Does 木棉 mean cotton?
No. 木棉 (mùmián) is the cotton tree, Bombax ceiba, a tall tree with big red flowers common in southern China. Its fluffy seed fiber looks like cotton, but everyday cotton fabric comes from 棉花 (miánhuā).
What does 卫生棉 mean, and is it used the same way everywhere?
卫生棉 (wèishēngmián) can mean sterilized absorbent cotton used for cleaning wounds. In Taiwan it is also a common word for sanitary napkins, so be aware of the regional meaning.