A robe-like garment with sleeves and a collar. Clothing, clothes, attire; a radical for cloth-related characters. Top dot and bar form the collar, side strokes are sleeves, lower strokes are the robe.
The top dot and horizontal stroke represent the collar and neckline. The central vertical stroke is the body of the garment. The two diagonal strokes on the sides are the sleeves. This shape has been preserved since oracle bone script, though it has been simplified over time.
English speakers may say 穿衣 without 服, but 衣 alone is not used as a standalone noun in modern Mandarin.
Measure word 件 needs the full noun 衣服; 衣 alone is bound.
In modern Mandarin, 衣 is a bound morpheme; the everyday word for clothes is 衣服.
衣 appears in many compound words like 上衣, 毛衣, 大衣, but it is rarely used alone as a noun. 服 also means clothing in some contexts, but 衣服 is the standard HSK 1 word for clothes.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday noun | 衣服 (yīfu) | 衣 (yī) alone |
| With measure word | 一件衣服 | 一件衣 |
| Verb object | 穿衣服 | 穿衣 (in modern speech) |
衣 has a collar and sleeves; 家 has a roof and a pig inside.
Both characters have a top component, but 衣's top is a collar (亠) with a body and sleeves below, while 家's top is a roof (宀) with 豕 (pig) underneath. Picture a garment versus a house with a pig.
| Dimension | 衣 | 家 |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | clothing | home; family |
| Top part | collar (亠) | roof (宀) |
| Bottom part | body and sleeves | pig (豕) |
| Memory hook | a shirt with sleeves | a pig under a roof |
Read about a work trip to Beijing where a group of colleagues takes a very large airplane. Practice weather words and actions in a simple travel story.
我们有些人穿的 衣服 很少。
我找了一件 衣服 给他们。
This playful poem turns numbers into a rhythm of daily life. As you read, practice counting, days of the week, and common time words in a fun, memorable way.
零百千万亿，可以医椅 衣 。
This playful poem helps you count and practice vocabulary about clothes, students, and pets. Enjoy the rhythm while learning new words.
一两件新 衣服 ，两三本汉语书。
This simple story introduces you to a family and what each member likes to do. Learn helpful words for food and daily activities as you read about Grandpa, Grandma, Mom, Dad, and the kids.
姐姐买 衣服 。
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