How to Write 縩 (cài) — Meaning “rustling sound of silk”

Imagine a silk robe (糸) making a soft rustling sound as someone walks in a temple ceremony (祭). The picture of silk touching itself during a ritual helps you recall both the sound and the character.

The left side 糸 has three strokes: a folded horizontal, a vertical hook, and a horizontal line. The right side 祭 is taller and wider, with its top part (月-like) narrower than the bottom 示. A common mistake is making the two sides unbalanced.

縩 has 糸 on the left and 祭 (sacrifice) on the right, meaning a rustling sound. 縻 has 糸 on the left and 麻 (hemp) on the right, meaning to tie or waste. 繁 has 糸 at the bottom and 敏 above, meaning numerous or complicated.

縩 is very rare in modern Chinese and mostly appears in classical literature or poetry to describe the rustling sound of silk clothes. You might encounter it in the compound 綷縩, which mimics the swishing noise of fine garments in motion.

Common words containing 縩 include: 綷縩 (cuì cài) — rustling sound of silk clothes; 縩縩 (cài cài) — rustling sound of silk; 縩色 (cài sè) — variegated color.