Chinese Character: 绵
1. Character Basics
Radical: 纟 (sī) - Silk radical
Stroke Count: 11 strokes
Stroke Order:
2. Pronunciation
Pinyin: mián (Second tone)
3. Meaning
Cotton; soft; gentle; continuous; unbroken; fluffy
4. Common Words
- 棉花 (miánhuā) - Cotton
- 绵羊 (miányáng) - Sheep
- 绵延 (miányán) - To extend continuously
- 绵软 (miánruǎn) - Soft; fluffy
- 绵长 (miáncháng) - Long and unbroken
- 绵密 (miánmì) - Dense; minute
- 绵薄 (miánbó) - Meager; modest (effort)
- 绵亘 (miángèn) - To stretch over a distance
5. Grammar & Usage
The character \u0022绵\u0022 is primarily used as an adjective to describe something that is soft, gentle, or continuous. It is often combined with other characters to form compound adjectives or verbs. For example, \u0022绵密\u0022 (miánmì) meaning \u0022dense\u0022 or \u0022绵亘\u0022 (miángèn) meaning \u0022to stretch over a distance\u0022. When used as an adjective, it can directly modify nouns, as in \u0022绵雨\u0022 (miányǔ) meaning \u0022continuous light rain\u0022 or \u0022绵力\u0022 (miánlì) meaning \u0022meager strength\u0022. It can also be used in phrases like \u0022绵延不绝\u0022 (miányán bùjué) meaning \u0022continuous without end\u0022.
6. Cultural Background
Cotton has played an important role in Chinese agriculture and textile industry for centuries. The character \u0022绵\u0022 is closely associated with the concept of softness and continuity in Chinese culture. In traditional Chinese philosophy, the idea of \u0022绵\u0022 represents qualities like gentle persistence and enduring strength. This is reflected in idioms such as \u0022绵里藏针\u0022 (mián lǐ cáng zhēn), which means \u0022needle hidden in cotton\u0022 and describes someone who appears gentle but is actually strong-willed. Additionally, the character \u0022绵\u0022 is often used in poetry to describe natural landscapes, such as \u0022绵延的山脉\u0022 (miányán de shānmài) meaning \u0022continuous mountains\u0022 or \u0022绵密的春雨\u0022 (miánmì de chūnyǔ) meaning \u0022continuous spring rain\u0022.
7. Example Sentence
山脉绵延千里，景色非常壮观。
The mountains stretch for thousands of miles, and the scenery is very spectacular.
8. Memory Tips
The character \u0022绵\u0022 is composed of the radical \u0022纟\u0022 (sī) meaning \u0022silk\u0022 and the character \u0022帛\u0022 (bó) meaning \u0022silk fabric\u0022. Together, they create the meaning of soft, cotton-like material. To remember the pronunciation \u0022mián\u0022, you can associate it with similar-sounding words like \u0022棉\u0022 (mián) meaning \u0022cotton\u0022 or \u0022眠\u0022 (mián) meaning \u0022sleep\u0022. Visualizing soft cotton or silk fabric can help you remember the meaning of \u0022绵\u0022. Additionally, think of phrases like \u0022绵延不绝\u0022 (miányán bùjué) meaning \u0022continuous without end\u0022 to reinforce the concept of continuity associated with this character.