How to Write 裇 (xū) — Meaning “Shirt (usually referring to a T-shirt)”

Picture a T-shirt hanging in your closet with the label 'xū' on it. The left side 衤 looks like a clothes rack, and the right side 戌 (xū) resembles a person with arms stretched out, just like the sleeves of a T-shirt. This visual link helps you connect the shape to the meaning.

Pay attention to the right side 戌: it starts with a left-falling stroke (丿), then a horizontal, a dot, another left-falling, and finally a slanted hook (乚). A common mistake is to forget the slanted hook or write the left radical 衤 too wide. Keep the left side narrow and the right side balanced.

While 裇 uses 戌 (xū) on the right, 衲 has 内 (nèi) meaning 'inside' and refers to patched clothing or a Buddhist cassock. 衹 has 氏 (shì) on the right and is used for 'only' or a type of robe. 裇 is the only one specifically used for a modern T-shirt.

This character is mostly used in traditional Chinese writing, especially in Hong Kong and Taiwan, for words like T裇 (T-shirt) and 汗裇 (T-shirt). It appears on clothing labels and in shops. In mainland China, the simplified character 恤 (xù) is more common for the same meaning.

Common words containing 裇 include: T裇 (T xū) — T-shirt; 汗裇 (hàn xū) — T-shirt; 短裇 (duǎn xū) — T-shirt; short-sleeved shirt..