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衩 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
衩chǎshorts, panties; a slit in a roben, 8 strokes, radical 衤, rank #54052, Very Hard
衩chǎopen seam of a garmentunknown, 8 strokes, radical 衤, rank #54052, Very Hard
衩chǎslit on either side of robeunknown, 8 strokes, radical 衤, rank #54052, Very Hard
衩chàshorts, panties; a slit in a roben, 8 strokes, radical 衤, rank #54052, Very Hard
衩chàopen seam of a garmentunknown, 8 strokes, radical 衤, rank #54052, Very Hard
衩chàslit on either side of robeunknown, 8 strokes, radical 衤, rank #54052, Very Hard
chǎ(cha3)cha
primary
T3
  1. 1shorts, panties; a slit in a robe
  2. 2open seam of a garment
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

衩chǎ(cha3)

The character 衩 (chǎ) refers primarily to shorts or panties in modern usage, often indicating casual or undergarment clothing. It can also describe slits in garments, especially those related to traditional clothing like robes. This term is commonly used in contexts discussing clothing styles and fashion.

Strokes8Radical衤Frequency#54052DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In contemporary Chinese culture, 衩 reflects the casualization of fashion, especially among youth, where shorts are common in urban areas during summer months. The notion of comfortable, practical clothing is valued in modern lifestyles.

Memory tip

Imagine a pair of shorts (shorts and panties) that are so short they expose slits on either side, reminiscent of the character 衩. The left side of the character resembles a pair of legs in shorts, while the right side suggests the idea of a split or opening.

Meanings of 衩

chǎ(cha3)
primary
1shorts, panties; a slit in a robe
2open seam of a garment
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 衩

衩Simplified
8Strokes
衤Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 衩

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Podcast: 衩

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AI Study Notes for 衩

Quick Contrast

短裤 (duǎnkù, shorts) vs 裙子 (qúnzi, skirt) — use 衩 when referring to a specific type of shorts or undergarments, while 短裤 refers generally to shorts and 裙子 refers to skirts.

Usage Notes

Be mindful that 衩 is more informal and typically refers to casual wear. It is often used in conversations about fashion or personal attire. Avoid using it in formal contexts where more elegant terms for clothing might be expected.

HSK Study Tips

Although 衩 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, understanding its usage can enhance your clothing-related vocabulary. Focus on recognizing how it relates to other clothing terms like 裙 (skirt) and 裤 (pants) to build context.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 衩 with 裤 (kù), which means pants, as both relate to lower garments. For example, saying '我买了衩' (I bought shorts) is correct, but saying '我买了衩裤' (I bought shorts pants) is redundant.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 衩

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Etymology of 衩

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

clothes

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

Origin

衩 = 衤 + 叉. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 衩

IDS Structure⿰衤叉
衩Full character
=
衤yi1
left
叉cha1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 衩?

How to say shorts, panties; a slit in a robe in Chinese

“shorts, panties; a slit in a robe” in Chinese is衩chǎ

The character 衩 (chǎ) refers primarily to shorts or panties in modern usage, often indicating casual or undergarment clothing. It can also describe slits in garments, especially those related to traditional clothing like robes. This term is commonly used in contexts discussing clothing styles and fashion.

When to use 衩

Be mindful that 衩 is more informal and typically refers to casual wear. It is often used in conversations about fashion or personal attire. Avoid using it in formal contexts where more elegant terms for clothing might be expected.

衩 or something close to it

短裤 (duǎnkù, shorts) vs 裙子 (qúnzi, skirt) — use 衩 when referring to a specific type of shorts or undergarments, while 短裤 refers generally to shorts and 裙子 refers to skirts.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 衩 with 裤 (kù), which means pants, as both relate to lower garments. For example, saying '我买了衩' (I bought shorts) is correct, but saying '我买了衩裤' (I bought shorts pants) is redundant.

Write 衩

衩

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

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Grammar Patterns of 衩

衩 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). It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 2

Fill the gap

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

侧开____的长裙

a long skirt with a slit up the side

Example Sentences for 衩 (1)

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1
侧开衩的长裙

cè kāi chà de cháng qún

a long skirt with a slit up the side
Exercise 1 of 1

Rebuild it

Rebuild it: “a long skirt with a slit up the side”

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Word Family of 衩

Words containing this character3
裤衩underpants褲衩
衩chǎshorts
开衩slit (in clothing)開衩
Exercise 1 of 2

Words with 衩

What does 裤衩 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 衩

You can say '我买了一条新的衩裤' (I bought a new pair of shorts).

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