褴 (lán): (in 褴褛) ragged; tattered

Meanings

老人瘦弱，衣衫褴褛。

Lǎorén shòu ruò, yīshān lánlǚ.

The old man was thin and dressed in rags.

筚路蓝缕，先民开辟了荒野。

Bìlùlánlǚ, xiānmín kāipì le huāngyě.

In a brushwood cart and ragged clothes, the pioneers opened up the wilderness.

usage

褴 is a bound character used essentially only in 褴褛 (ragged, of clothing). Learn the pair together; the single character does not stand alone.

radical

衤 yī

clothing radical

The side form of the clothing radical 衣. It marks the character as being about garments, fitting 'ragged clothing'.

phonetic

监 jiān

to supervise; to oversee

Provides the sound, read 监 on its own and shifted to lán here. It serves only as the phonetic cue.

褴 lán