How to Write 绔 (kù) — Meaning “Trousers (ancient).”

Imagine a wealthy young man wearing fancy silk trousers and boasting about them — the right side 夸 looks like a person puffing out their chest. The left radical 纟 reminds you the trousers are made of silk. This connects 绔 to the common word 纨绔, meaning a rich show-off.

Start with the left radical 纟 (three turns and a vertical line), then write the right side 夸: first the top part 大 (three strokes), then 亏 (three strokes). Keep the left side narrow and the right side wider. A common mistake is forgetting the final horizontal stroke of 亏 or confusing the top of 夸 with 天.

绔 has the right side 夸 (boast), while 纬 has 韦 (weft thread) and 纭 has 云 (cloud). Visually, 绔's right side is taller with a large on top, whereas 纬 is simpler and 纭 has a balanced 云. In meaning, 绔 means ancient trousers, 纬 means weft or latitude, and 纭 means chaotic or numerous threads.

绔 is rarely used alone today; it appears almost exclusively in the compound 纨绔 (wán kù), which refers to silk trousers historically worn by wealthy young men. This word is now most common in the idiom 纨绔子弟 (wán kù zǐ dì), meaning a spoiled dandy or a rich person's idle son. It carries a cultural connotation of luxury and laziness.

Common words containing 绔 include: 纨绔 (wán kù) — Silk trousers (symbol of wealth); 绔褶 (kù zhě) — Ancient military trousers and leggings.; 绔士 (kù shì) — A dandy or wealthy young man (archaic)..