Skip to content
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
袂 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
mèisleevesng, 9 strokes, radical 衤, Very Hard
mèisleeve of a robeunknown, 9 strokes, radical 衤, Very Hard
mèi(mei4) T4
  1. 1sleeves
  2. 2sleeve of a robe
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
mèi(mei4)

The character 袂 (mèi) refers to the sleeves of clothing, particularly those of a traditional robe. It is commonly used in contexts related to fashion, traditional attire, and historical garments, reflecting the importance of sleeves in Chinese clothing styles.

Strokes9RadicalFrequency#—DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, the design and style of sleeves vary greatly and often symbolize social status or occasion. The length and decoration of sleeves can signify different roles in society, particularly in historical dramas and ceremonies.

Memory Tip

Imagine a robe with long, flowing sleeves. The character 袂 resembles a person with outstretched arms, emphasizing the idea of sleeves. To remember its pronunciation, think of 'may'—a month when people wear lighter clothing, often featuring elegant sleeves.

Meanings of 袂

mèi(mei4)
1sleeves
2sleeve of a robe
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 袂

Simplified
9Strokes
Radical
名语素míngcínoun root (n.root)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 袂

JasonAmy

Podcast:

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 袂

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a robe with long, flowing sleeves. The character 袂 resembles a person with outstretched arms, emphasizing the idea of sleeves. To remember its pronunciation, think of 'may'—a month when people wear lighter clothing, often featuring elegant sleeves.

Usage Notes

This character is primarily used in literary or historical contexts and may not be frequently encountered in everyday conversation. Learners often confuse it with 袍 (páo), which means 'robe' as a whole. Be cautious with the tone; 'mèi' has a falling tone that distinguishes it from similar-sounding words.

HSK Study Tips

As 袂 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, it is essential to associate it with traditional clothing themes found in HSK Level 3 and above. Students should focus on recognizing its use in context, especially when reading about Chinese history or culture.

Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, the design and style of sleeves vary greatly and often symbolize social status or occasion. The length and decoration of sleeves can signify different roles in society, particularly in historical dramas and ceremonies.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 袂 with 袍, mistakenly using 袂 to refer to an entire robe instead of just the sleeves. Correct usage is important; for example, saying 袂的衣服 (mèi de yīfu) to mean 'clothes with sleeves' instead of using 袍.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 袂

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Etymology of 袂

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

clothes

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

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 袂?

Decomposition of 袂

IDS Structure⿰衤夬
Full Character
=
yi1
left
guai4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 袂?

Write 袂

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 袂

袂 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 2 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 1

Complete the Sentence

在电影摄制过程中,柯蒂斯爱上了同他联____主演的明星克里斯汀·考夫曼。

During the filming, Curtis fell in love with his co-star, Christine Kaufmann.

Example Sentences for 袂 (1)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
在电影摄制过程中,柯蒂斯爱上了同他联袂主演的明星克里斯汀·考夫曼。

zài diàn yǐng shè zhì guò chéng zhōng, , kē dì sī ài shàng le tóng tā lián mèi zhǔ yǎn de míng xīng kè lǐ sī· tīng · kǎo。

During the filming, Curtis fell in love with his co-star, Christine Kaufmann.

Cultural Notes for 袂

🏮Cultural insight

In traditional Chinese culture, the design and style of sleeves vary greatly and often symbolize social status or occasion. The length and decoration of sleeves can signify different roles in society, particularly in historical dramas and ceremonies.

Word Family of 袂

Words Containing This Character6
联袂jointly聯袂
mèisleeve of a robe
连袂jointly連袂
攘袂to rise to action with a determined shake of the arms
奋袂to roll up one's sleeves for action奮袂
投袂而起lit. to shake one's sleeves and rise (idiom)
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 联袂 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 袂

You could say 袂很长 (mèi hěn cháng) to mean 'the sleeves are very long.'