黹 (zhǐ): needlework; embroidery; sewing…

Meanings

1 needlework; embroidery; sewing (literary)
2 (specifically) decorative needlework beyond plain stitching — embroidery, knotting, fancywork

Characters

黹

zhǐ

needlework; embroidery

Patterned stitching motif on a cloth panel — semantic image of sewing decoration onto plain fabric.

Examples

古代妇女从小学习针黹。

Gǔdài fùnǚ cóngxiǎo xuéxí zhēn zhǐ.

In ancient times, women learned needlework from childhood.

Tips

usage

黹 is a literary, archaic word — modern Chinese says 针线活 (needlework) or 刺绣 (embroidery). You will mainly meet it in the compound 针黹 (zhēnzhǐ, sewing and embroidery), in classical texts about women's domestic skills, and as Kangxi radical #204.

history

The graph shows 㡀 (a length of fabric) with patterned stitches at the bottom — the seed-image is decorative work added to plain cloth. As a radical, 黹 indexes a small clutch of derivatives about figured embroidery: 黼 (axe-pattern brocade), 黻 (bow-and-arc pattern) — both classical court-robe motifs.

Components

pictograph

黹 zhǐ

needlework; embroidery (Kangxi radical 204)

Pictograph of an embroidered or stitched garment — early forms showed crossing threads and decorative knots running through cloth. Today 黹 is Kangxi radical 204, indexing the small inventory of needlework characters. Mostly appears in the literary compound 针黹 zhēnzhǐ 'needle and thread' or 'sewing'. The character itself is rare outside that idiom and ceremonial contexts.

Radical

Embroidery Kangxi #204

A near-vestigial radical for needlework and figured embroidery. Indexes a tiny family — 黼 (axe-shaped brocade pattern), 黻 (黑/青 bow-and-arc pattern) — both classical motifs once embroidered onto official court robes. Modern Chinese has largely retired this radical in favor of 糸 (silk) for sewing vocabulary.

Used in

Showing 3 of 3 · default form 黹

黻 fú

an embroidered ceremonial pattern of black-and-blue interlocking 弓-shapes; one of the Twelve Ornaments · ceremonial robe embroidered with this pattern

黼 fǔ

an embroidered ceremonial pattern of black-and-white axes; one of the Twelve Ornaments · ceremonial screen / robe bearing this pattern

黹 zhǐ

needlework; embroidery; sewing (literary) · (specifically) decorative needlework beyond plain stitching — embroidery, knotting, fancywork