How to Write 裉 (kèn) — Meaning “Seam (usually under the arm of a garment)”

Picture the left side 衤 as a shirt, and the right side 艮 as a person bending their arm (like the shape of 艮 with a slight curve). Imagine the shirt's underarm seam (裉) straining as the person bends their elbow, helping you link the shape to the meaning of a seam.

Write 衤 first (dot, horizontal stroke, left-falling, vertical) then 艮 (horizontal, vertical, horizontal, left-falling, right-curving). Keep the left radical narrow and the right part wider—common mistakes include making the 衣 radical's left-falling stroke too long or crossing into the right side, which should remain separate.

裉 (kèn) means a garment seam, while 衲 (nà) means to patch or mend clothing (often used in 衲衣, a monk's patched robe). 衹 (zhǐ) is a variant of 只 meaning "only" and is rarely used. Visually, 裉 has 艮 on the right, 衲 has 内, and 衹 has 氏—focus on the right-side component differences.

裉 appears mainly in tailoring or clothing descriptions, such as 裉子 (underarm seam) or 宽裉 (loose-fitting). It is not common in everyday speech but might be found in fashion or sewing contexts. Culturally, the term highlights traditional Chinese garment construction, where precise seam fitting was important for comfort.

Common words containing 裉 include: 裉子 (kèn zi) — Underarm seam; 宽裉 (kuān kèn) — Loose-fitting (clothing); 紧裉 (jǐn kèn) — tight-fitting (clothing).