How to Write 奁 (lián) — Meaning “bridal trousseau / dressing case”

Imagine a "big" (大) box that a bride takes to her new home — this box is her "trousseau box" (奁). The inside of the box holds her makeup and mirrors, so think of the character's shape as a tall dressing case with a lid on top.

Start with the top radical 大: write horizontal stroke, then left-falling stroke, then right-falling stroke. Then below, write the box-like part: a vertical left stroke, horizontal top, vertical right, and finally a bottom horizontal closing the box. A common mistake is making the bottom box too narrow or uneven — keep it slightly wider than the 大 above.

奁 has a large 大 on top and a closed box below; 买 (mǎi, to buy) has a 买 radical with a head and legs, and 央 (yāng, center) has a 大 with two strokes crossing through the middle. Visually, 奁's bottom is a square enclosure, while 买's bottom is open like a "selling" shape, and 央's middle has a vertical line through the 大.

Today, 奁 appears mainly in formal or traditional contexts, such as in the words 妆奁 (trousseau) and 镜奁 (mirror case). It is not a common daily character, but it carries cultural significance related to Chinese wedding traditions, where a bride's dowry includes elaborate dressing cases. You might encounter it in historical fiction, descriptions of antique furniture, or articles about traditional customs.

Common words containing 奁 include: 妆奁 (zhuāng lián) — trousseau; a bride's dowry; 镜奁 (jìng lián) — mirror case or dressing case; 奁具 (lián jù) — dressing case / vanity box.