How to Write 袂 (mèi) — Meaning “Sleeve”

Imagine the left radical 衤 as a shirt, and the right part 夬 as a V-shaped sleeve opening. You can picture a shirt with a wide sleeve that forms a "V" shape at the end – this visual trick helps you recall that 袂 means "sleeve."

Pay attention to the left radical 衤: it has a dot then a horizontal-left-falling stroke, and should be narrow so the right side 夬 has room. A common mistake is confusing 衤 with the spirit radical 礻 – make sure the second stroke of 衤 is a horizontal-left-falling, not a dot.

袂 (mèi, sleeve) has the right component 夬 (a V-like shape), while 补 (bǔ, to mend) uses 卜 (a simple vertical with a dot on top). 衩 (chǎ, slit of a garment) uses 叉 (a cross shape). Visually, 袂's right side is more complex and wider than the other two.

袂 is a literary character rarely used alone in daily speech; it appears in formal idioms like 联袂 (together, side by side) and 分袂 (to part company). This character carries a classical, poetic feel, often describing sleeves in traditional clothing or metaphorical togetherness and separation.

Common words containing 袂 include: 联袂 (lián mèi) — together; side by side; 袖袂 (xiù mèi) — Sleeves; 分袂 (fēn mèi) — To part company (literary).