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How to Write 衬 (chèn) — Meaning “to line; to set off; underwear”

chèn HSK Level 3 8 strokes Radical: 衤

衬 (chèn) means "to line; to set off; underwear" in Chinese. It has 8 strokes with the radical 衤, and is HSK Level 3.

Rated 3.7/5 in difficulty (challenging).

Harder than 54% of HSK Level 3 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 衬衫 (chèn shān), 衬托 (chèn tuō), 衬裤 (chèn kù).

Due to its 8 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 衬 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Stroke order practice for 衬 - chèn

Practice Writing 衬 (chèn)

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How to Write 衬

The character 衬 (chèn) is written with 8 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 衤 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does chèn (衬) Mean in Chinese?

衬 means to line; to set off; underwear.

As an HSK Level 3 character, 衬 is an intermediate-level character.

Character Data

Character衬
Pinyinchèn (chen)
Meaningto line; to set off; underwear
Strokes8
Radical衤
HSK Level3
Difficulty3.7/5

Origin of 衬

衬 is a compound character. The left side 衤 (clothing) indicates its relation to garments, while the right side 寸 (cùn, meaning 'inch' or 'measure') originally suggested something that fits closely inside—like a lining or underwear. Together, they convey the idea of an inner layer that lines or sets off the outer garment.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture a shirt (衤) with a tiny inch-tape (寸) sewn inside as a secret lining.

Common Words with 衬

衬衫 chèn shān
shirt; blouse
衬托 chèn tuō
to set off; to serve as a foil to
衬裤 chèn kù
underpants; long johns

Example Sentences

我喜欢穿白衬衫。

wǒ xǐ huān chuān bái chèn shān

I like wearing white shirts.

绿叶衬托着红花。

lǜ yè chèn tuō zhe hóng huā

Green leaves set off the red flowers.

冬天要穿厚衬裤。

dōng tiān yào chuān hòu chèn kù

One needs to wear thick long johns in winter.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
衬 (current) chèn 8 衤
补 bǔ 7 衤
衩 chǎ 8 衤
衫 shān 8 衤
Stroke order practice for 衬 - chèn

Practice Writing 衬 (chèn)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 衬 with real-time feedback.

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Frequently Asked Questions about 衬

衬 has the radical 衤, meaning clothing, on the left, and 寸 (cùn, a unit of measurement) on the right. The combination suggests lining or measuring cloth for inner layers, which connects to its meanings of "to line" or "underwear."

More HSK Level 3 Characters

按àn把bǎ/bà握wò搬bān保bǎo持chí存cún险xiǎn证zhèng被bèi领lǐng较jiào赛sài化huà标biāo达dá格gé演yǎn并bìng播bō

Characters with Radical 衤

补bǔ衩chǎ衫shān衲nà衹zhǐ衽rèn衿jīn袂mèi袄ǎo袍páo

Other 8-Stroke Characters

㐭lǐn丧sāng/sàng乖guāi乳rǔ乶fǔ事shì些xiē亟jí享xiǎng京jīng