Meaning of 毛巾
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- towel
Measure word: 條|条
How to use 毛巾
毛巾 is the everyday word for a towel, from a small face towel to a bath towel. The measure word is usually 条 (tiáo). Example: 请给我一条干净的毛巾。(Qǐng gěi wǒ yì tiáo gānjìng de máojīn.) Please give me a clean towel.
毛 (máo) means hair or fur, and 巾 (jīn) means a piece of cloth. A towel is a cloth with a soft, fuzzy surface, so 毛巾 is literally a "furry cloth."
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 巾 (jīn) with 币 (bì, currency), which has an extra stroke on top. Also keep the tones straight: máo is second tone and jīn is first tone.
毛巾 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.
毛 máo · hair · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
巾 jīn · cloth · 3 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
Related words
Words that share a character with 毛巾.
| 毛病 | máobìng | fault; defect |
| 毛衣 | máoyī | (wool) sweater |
| 围巾 | wéijīn | scarf; shawl |
| 羽毛球 | yǔmáoqiú | badminton; shuttlecock |
| 毛笔 | máobǐ | writing brush |
| 眉毛 | méimao | eyebrow |
| 出毛病 | chū máobìng | a problem appears; to break down |
| 一毛不拔 | yīmáo-bùbá | (lit.) unwilling to spare a single hair (idiom); (fig.) extremely stingy |
| 羽毛 | yǔmáo | feather; plumage |
| 毛骨悚然 | máogǔsǒngrán | to have one's hair stand on end (idiom); to feel one's blood run cold |
| 纸巾 | zhǐjīn | paper towel; napkin |
| 毛利 | máolì | gross profit |
Questions about 毛巾
What does 毛巾 mean?
毛巾 (máojīn) means "towel" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 毛巾?
毛巾 is made of 2 characters: 毛 (4 strokes), 巾 (3 strokes). That is 7 strokes in total.
Is 毛巾 an HSK word?
Yes. 毛巾 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How do you say bath towel or face towel in Chinese?
A bath towel is 浴巾 (yùjīn), and a small face towel is often called 洗脸毛巾 (xǐliǎn máojīn) or just 毛巾. Paper towels are usually 纸巾 (zhǐjīn).
Is 毛巾 related to 围巾 (wéijīn)?
Both use 巾 for a piece of cloth. 围 means to wrap around, so 围巾 is a scarf, while 毛 adds the idea of a fuzzy surface, giving you a towel.