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茵 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
茵yīnmattress, cushion; wormwood, Skimmia japonn, 9 strokes, radical 艹, rank #13118, Very Hard
yīn(yin1)yin T1
  1. 1mattress, cushion; wormwood, Skimmia japon
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March 24, 2026

茵yīn(yin1)

The character 茵 (yīn) primarily refers to a mattress or cushion, often denoting something soft and comfortable. It can also refer to certain plants like wormwood or Skimmia japonica, which are associated with softness and greenery. In a broader context, it is often used in literary or poetic language to evoke a sense of comfort and tranquility.

Strokes9Radical艹Frequency#13118DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In traditional Chinese culture, comfortable bedding is highly valued, symbolizing prosperity and rest. The use of soft materials for bedding and cushions is a common practice in Chinese homes.

Memory tip

Imagine a soft, green cushion (茵) under you while you're lying in a beautiful garden filled with wormwood plants. The character has the radical for 'grass' (艹) on top, representing the softness of plants, and the bottom part resembles a cozy bed.

Meanings of 茵

yīn(yin1)
1mattress, cushion; wormwood, Skimmia japon
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 茵

茵Simplified
9Strokes
艹Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 茵

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Podcast: 茵

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AI study notes for 茵

Usage Notes

This character is typically used in literary or formal contexts. Learners may confuse it with similar-sounding characters; be careful with pronunciation and tones. Common collocations include '茵席' (yīn xí) meaning 'cushion seat' and phrases related to soft bedding.

HSK Study Tips

As 茵 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, focus on its components: the grass radical and its association with softness. Connecting it with other comfort-related vocabulary at your level can help reinforce its meaning.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 茵 with characters like 因 (yīn), which means 'because.' A common mistake is writing '因床' instead of '茵床' to mean 'mattress.' Always remember that 茵 specifically relates to softness and bedding.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 茵

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Etymology of 茵

Formation typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 因 represents the sound.

Memory hint

grass

Semantic (meaning)艹
+
Phonetic (sound)因
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

茵 = 艹 + 因. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 茵

IDS Structure⿱艹因
茵Full character
=
艹cao3
top
因yin1
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 茵?

How to say mattress, cushion; wormwood, Skimmia japon in Chinese

“mattress, cushion; wormwood, Skimmia japon” in Chinese is茵yīn

The character 茵 (yīn) primarily refers to a mattress or cushion, often denoting something soft and comfortable. It can also refer to certain plants like wormwood or Skimmia japonica, which are associated with softness and greenery. In a broader context, it is often used in literary or poetic language to evoke a sense of comfort and tranquility.

When to use 茵

This character is typically used in literary or formal contexts. Learners may confuse it with similar-sounding characters; be careful with pronunciation and tones. Common collocations include '茵席' (yīn xí) meaning 'cushion seat' and phrases related to soft bedding.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 茵 with characters like 因 (yīn), which means 'because.' A common mistake is writing '因床' instead of '茵床' to mean 'mattress.' Always remember that 茵 specifically relates to softness and bedding.

Write 茵

茵

Practice writing 茵 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar patterns of 茵

茵 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

迈克尔给老头子斟了些____香酒,给汤姆-黑根斟了些苏格兰威士忌.

Michael served some anisette to the Don and scotch to Tom Hagen.

Example sentences for 茵 (4)

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1
迈克尔给老头子斟了些茵香酒,给汤姆-黑根斟了些苏格兰威士忌.

mài kè ěr gěi lǎo tóu zi zhēn le xiē yīn xiāng jiǔ, gěi shāng mǔ- hēi gēn zhēn le xiē sū gé lán wēi shì jì.

Michael served some anisette to the Don and scotch to Tom Hagen.
2
你的花园将绿草成茵,姹紫嫣红.

nǐ de huāyuán jiāng lǜ cǎo chéng yīn, chà zǐ yān hóng.

Your garden will be full of green grass and gay flowers.
3
他们躺在绿草如茵的草坪上.

tāmen tǎng zài lǜ cǎo rú yīn de cǎopíng shàng.

They are lying on a grassy lawn.
4
你躺在绿草如茵的草地上,涤荡心灵的乐声随着清香的夏日微风飘到你的身边。

nǐ tǎng zài lǜ cǎo rú yīn de cǎodì shàng, dí dàng xīnlíng de lè shēng suízhe qīng xiāng de xià rì Wēi fēng piāo dào nǐ de shēnbiān。

Sublime music floats on a scented summer breeze to the spot where you lie on the lush grass.

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Word Family of 茵

Words containing this character6
茵yīnmattress
绿茵场football field綠茵場
莱茵河Rhine River萊茵河
绿草如茵green grass like cushion (idiom); green meadow so inviting to sleep on綠草如茵
绿茵grassy area綠茵
碧草如茵green grass like cushion (idiom); green meadow so inviting to sleep on
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 茵

What does 绿茵场 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 茵

The correct pronunciation is 'yīn', with a high and level tone.

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