How to Write 帛 (bó) — Meaning “Silk.”

Imagine a piece of white (白) silk hanging from a cloth (巾) rack. The white top reminds you that silk is often white, and the cloth radical shows it is a textile. This visual of a white silk scarf helps link the parts to the meaning.

Write the top part 白 first (left vertical, horizontal, then the inner horizontal, then bottom horizontal), then the bottom 巾 (left vertical, horizontal stroke, then the right vertical). A common mistake is making the top 白 too wide—it should be narrow so the whole character looks balanced like a rectangle.

帛 has 白 on top and 巾 below, meaning silk. 帆 (fān, sail) has 巾 on the left and 凡 (ordinary) on the right—the top is different. 师 (shī, teacher) has 巾 on the right with a left component 刂 (knife) but no 白—so focus on the top part to distinguish them.

帛 is used in words like 帛画 (silk painting) and 布帛 (textiles), often referring to fine silk fabrics. Historically, silk was a luxury item and a form of currency, so 财帛 means wealth. Today it appears in art and historical contexts, not in everyday conversation.

Common words containing 帛 include: 帛画 (bó huà) — Silk painting.; 布帛 (bù bó) — textiles; cloth and silk; 财帛 (cái bó) — wealth; money and silk.