How to Write 袷 (jiá/qiā) — Meaning “Lined garment”

Picture a coat (衤) that is '合' (fitted) with a warm inner lining. Imagine saying 'jiá' sounds like 'jacket'—a lined jacket is exactly what 袷 means.

Write the clothing radical 衤 first as two strokes (dot, then left vertical with a rightward flick). The right side 合 has a top 'person' radical (人) that must not be too wide; the bottom 'mouth' (口) should be centered and smaller than the top.

袷 (jiá) means lined clothing, while 衲 (nà) means patching or mending clothes and is used in Buddhist monks' robes. 衹 (zhǐ) means 'only' or a ritual vessel, not clothing—it has a different right radical (氐) and is not related to garments.

袷 is not common in everyday Chinese but appears in terms like 袷衣 (lined clothing) and 袷袢 (a traditional Central Asian robe called chapan). It is mostly used in historical or cultural contexts, especially describing traditional layered clothing.

Common words containing 袷 include: 袷衣 (jiá yī) — Lined clothing; 袷袢 (qiā pàn) — Chapan (a traditional Central Asian robe); 穿袷 (chuān jiá) — To wear a lined garment.