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裉 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
kèna garment seamg, 11 strokes, radical 衤, Very Hard
kènside seam in an upper garmentunknown, 11 strokes, radical 衤, Very Hard
kèn(ken4) T4
  1. 1a garment seam
  2. 2side seam in an upper garment
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March 24, 2026
kèn(ken4)

The character 裉 (kèn) refers to a seam, particularly the side seam of an upper garment. It is commonly used in the context of clothing construction and tailoring, indicating the area where two pieces of fabric are stitched together to form a garment.

Strokes11RadicalFrequency#—DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the quality of clothing, including the seams, is often seen as indicative of craftsmanship and attention to detail. This reflects broader values of quality and care in artisanal work.

Memory Tip

Imagine a tailor carefully stitching together the sides of a shirt, creating the perfect seam. The character 裉 resembles a shirt (the top part) with the seam running down the sides, helping you remember its meaning and pronunciation.

Meanings of 裉

kèn(ken4)
1a garment seam
2side seam in an upper garment
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 裉

Simplified
11Strokes
Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 裉

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AI Study Notes for 裉

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a tailor carefully stitching together the sides of a shirt, creating the perfect seam. The character 裉 resembles a shirt (the top part) with the seam running down the sides, helping you remember its meaning and pronunciation.

Usage Notes

When using 裉, it is important to note that it is more formal and technical, often used in fashion or tailoring contexts. A common mistake is confusing it with similar terms related to clothing; be sure to use it specifically for seams. Collocations include phrases like '衣服的裉' (the seam of the clothing).

HSK Study Tips

While 裉 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, it connects with other clothing-related words like 衣 (clothing) and 裙 (skirt), which are relevant for vocabulary building at the beginner level. Focus on understanding its role in clothing terminology.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the quality of clothing, including the seams, is often seen as indicative of craftsmanship and attention to detail. This reflects broader values of quality and care in artisanal work.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 裉 with related terms like 线 (xiàn, line) or 缝 (féng, to sew). For instance, saying '我喜欢这个线' (I like this line) when referring to a seam instead of using 裉 is incorrect; it should be '我喜欢这个裉'.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 裉

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Etymology of 裉

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

clothes

Semantic (meaning)
+
Phonetic (sound)
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 裉?

Decomposition of 裉

IDS Structure⿰衤艮
Full Character
=
yi1
left
gen3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 裉?

Write 裉

Practice writing stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Cultural Notes for 裉

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, the quality of clothing, including the seams, is often seen as indicative of craftsmanship and attention to detail. This reflects broader values of quality and care in artisanal work.

Word Family of 裉

Words Containing This Character1
kènside seam in an upper garment
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 裉 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 裉

While 裉 specifically refers to seams in garments, 缝 (féng) is a more general term for sewing or stitching, which can refer to any type of sewing, not just seams.