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紈 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
紈wángauze; fine white silkx, 9 strokes, radical 糹
wán(wan2) T2
  1. 1gauze; fine white silk
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

紈wán(wan2)

The character 紈 (wán) refers to a type of fine white silk or gauze, often used in traditional Chinese clothing and textiles. It connotes a sense of delicacy and luxury, and is typically associated with high-quality fabrics in historical and cultural contexts.

Strokes9Radical糹
Cultural Note

In ancient China, 紈 was highly valued in the manufacture of garments for the elite, symbolizing status and wealth. The use of such fine silk fabrics is often depicted in traditional Chinese art and literature.

Memory Tip

Imagine a flowing piece of white silk that is as light as a feather, beautifully draping like a gauze curtain. The character 紈 has the 'silk' radical (丝) at its base, which helps connect it to its meaning of fine fabric.

Meanings of 紈

wán(wan2)
1gauze; fine white silk
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 紈

紈Simplified
9Strokes
糹Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 紈

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Podcast: 紈

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AI Study Notes for 紈

Usage Notes

This character is not commonly used in everyday conversation, making it more suited for formal or literary contexts. Ensure you use it correctly in phrases related to textiles, as confusing it with other fabric-related characters can lead to misunderstandings.

HSK Study Tips

Although 紈 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it relates to other textile-related terms, such as 丝 (sī, silk) and 布 (bù, cloth). Focusing on these related terms can help reinforce your understanding of fabric-related vocabulary.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 紈 with other similar characters like 绢 (juàn), which means 'silk cloth.' A common mistake is using 紈 when discussing more general silk fabrics, whereas it's more specific to fine gauze.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 紈

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Etymology of 紈

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

Phonosemantic compound. 纟 represents the meaning and 丸 represents the sound. Simplified form of 紈.

Memory Hint

silk

Semantic (meaning)糹
+
Phonetic (sound)丸
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 紈

Phonosemantic compound. 纟 represents the meaning and 丸 represents the sound. Simplified form of 紈.

  1. 1The meaning half糹 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half丸 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaysilk
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 紈? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 紈?

Decomposition of 紈

IDS Structure⿰糹丸
紈Full Character
=
糹si1
left
丸wan2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 紈?

How to say gauze; fine white silk in Chinese

“gauze; fine white silk” in Chinese is紈wán

The character 紈 (wán) refers to a type of fine white silk or gauze, often used in traditional Chinese clothing and textiles. It connotes a sense of delicacy and luxury, and is typically associated with high-quality fabrics in historical and cultural contexts.

When to use 紈

This character is not commonly used in everyday conversation, making it more suited for formal or literary contexts. Ensure you use it correctly in phrases related to textiles, as confusing it with other fabric-related characters can lead to misunderstandings.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 紈 with other similar characters like 绢 (juàn), which means 'silk cloth.' A common mistake is using 紈 when discussing more general silk fabrics, whereas it's more specific to fine gauze.

Write 紈

紈

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 紈

Words Containing This Character3
纨绔子弟hedonistic son of rich parents紈絝子弟
纨wánwhite紈
纨裤子弟dandy紈褲子弟
Exercise 1 of 3

Compound Meaning

What does 纨绔子弟 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 紈

It is pronounced as 'wán'.

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