How to Write 绨 (tí) — Meaning “A type of heavy silk”

Imagine that your younger brother (弟) wears a very heavy silk (纟) robe, so heavy that he cannot move fast. The pinyin 'tí' sounds like 'tea', and you can picture a silk cloth used to cover a tea table.

Write the left radical 纟 first with three strokes: horizontal, vertical hook, horizontal. Then write the right part 弟 with seven strokes starting with a dot on top. A common mistake is mixing up the right side with 第 (dì) or making the silk radical too wide.

绨 means a heavy silk, while 线 means thread or wire and uses the right component 戋 (jiān). 绀 means a dark red or purple silk and uses the right component 甘 (gān). Visually, 绨 has 弟 on the right, 线 has 戋, and 绀 has 甘.

绨 is a classical term rarely used in daily modern Chinese, but it appears in historical literature or descriptions of ancient textiles. For example, 绨袍 refers to a silk robe, and in ancient stories it symbolizes friendship or kindness, like in the tale of 范雎 receiving a 绨袍.

Common words containing 绨 include: 绨袍 (tí páo) — Silk robe; 粗绨 (cū tí) — coarse silk; 绨几 (tí jǐ) — A small table covered with silk.