How to Write 绉 (zhòu) — Meaning “Crepe (a type of fabric with a wrinkled surface)”

Think of the phrase 'silk (纟) that looks like wrinkled grass (刍),' since 刍 resembles a bunch of twisted grass blades. Imagine a piece of silk fabric that has been crumpled into tiny folds, just like a dried grass stalk. This visual helps link the silk radical and the phonetic component to the crepe texture.

Pay attention to the right component 刍: it has five strokes starting with a short left-falling stroke (撇), then a horizontal hook (横撇), a horizontal fold (横折), a horizontal line (横), and finally a vertical fold with hook (竖折折钩). Many learners mistakenly write the right side as 纟 again or confuse it with 刂 (knife radical), so practice the distinct shape of 刍.

The characters 绉, 纡, and 红 all share the silk radical 纟, but their right sides differ completely. 绉 has 刍 and means 'crepe fabric,' 纡 has 于 (yú) and means 'to bend or twist,' and 红 has 工 (gōng) and means 'red.' Visually, 绉's right side 刍 is wider and has a diagonal stroke, while 纡's right side is simpler with a horizontal line and a hook, and 红's right side is just a vertical and horizontal line.

绉 is used mainly in textile and fashion contexts to describe a specific type of crinkled fabric, such as 绉纱 (crepe gauze) or 丝绉 (silk crepe). It is not a common daily character but appears on fabric labels, in clothing descriptions, and in traditional Chinese silk products. Culturally, 绉 fabrics are valued for their elegant texture and are often used in formal or luxury garments.

Common words containing 绉 include: 绉纱 (zhòu shā) — Crepe gauze; 绉布 (zhòu bù) — Crepe cloth; 丝绉 (sī zhòu) — Silk crepe.