How to Write 褟 (tā) — Meaning “inner garment; undershirt”

Imagine a person wearing an undershirt (the 衤 radical) and then saying "Ta-da!" as they reveal it, which sounds like tā. The right side looks like a small bird (羽) peeping from a hole (口), reminding you that an undershirt is a hidden layer of clothing. This playful image links the sound and meaning to the character's shape.

When writing 褟, write the left radical 衤 first (dot, horizontal stroke, left-falling, then vertical), followed by the right component 㕣. A common mistake is making the 羽 part too wide or misplacing the 口—keep the 羽 narrow and the 口 centered below. Pay attention to the top of 羽: it should not touch the 口, leaving a small gap.

褟 has the right side 㕣 (with 羽 and 口), while 裨 has 卑 (a short stroke, field, and ten), and 裰 has 叕 (four stacked 又 components). The meanings also differ: 褟 is specifically an undershirt, 裨 means to supplement or benefit, and 裰 means to patch or mend clothes. Remember that 褟 uses the 'feather' (羽) element, hinting at something light like an undershirt.

褟 is rarely used alone—it appears mostly in set phrases like 汗褟儿 (undershirt) or 白褟 (white inner garment), often in northern Chinese dialects. It describes a sleeveless or short-sleeved undershirt worn under a shirt, common in casual or traditional daily wear. The character is not on the HSK list, so learners may encounter it mainly in literature or regional conversation.

Common words containing 褟 include: 汗褟儿 (hàn tā ér) — undershirt; 白褟 (bái tā) — White inner garment; 褟子 (tā zi) — undershirt; sweat shirt.