How to Write 锦 (jǐn) — Meaning “Brocade”

Imagine a piece of golden (钅) silk (帛) – that is brocade. Picture a shiny gold thread woven into beautiful silk fabric, and remember that 锦 represents this luxurious textile.

Write the left radical 钅 first (three strokes: horizontal, horizontal, vertical lift), then the right part 帛 with its own order: top 白 (six strokes) followed by bottom 巾 (three strokes). A common mistake is making the right side too narrow; keep 帛 about the same width as the left side to balance the character.

锦 means 'brocade' and uses the metal radical 钅 with 帛 (silk), while 铐 means 'handcuffs' (also 钅 but with 考) and 铑 is a chemical element 'rhodium' (钅 with 老). Visually, the right side of 锦 is 帛, not 考 or 老, so focus on the silk component to remember the meaning.

锦 appears in words like 锦标赛 (championship) and 锦旗 (silk banner award), reflecting the idea of something fine or award-worthy. Culturally, 锦 symbolizes beauty and honor, often given as an award or used to describe splendid scenery (如花似锦).

Common words containing 锦 include: 锦标赛 (jǐn biāo sài) — Championship / Tournament; 锦旗 (jǐn qí) — Silk banner (award); 锦缎 (jǐn duàn) — Brocade.