绵 (mián): silk floss, continuous, soft
绵 (mián) is a Chinese character meaning “silk floss.” Classified as HSK Level 7-9 (HSK 3.0 Standard, CLEC 2022), it is composed of 纟 (structural) and 帛 (structural). It ranks #2138 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).
Etymologically derived, 绵 a continuous thread 纟 of silk 帛. Its radical form 纟 (silk) appears in many related characters such as 系 (xì, to connect), 累 (lèi, tired), 绍 (shào, to continue).
Definitions
- silk floss
- continuous
- soft
Etymology & Origin
ideographicA continuous thread 纟 of silk 帛
Decomposition: ⿰纟帛 (layout: left-right)
Stroke Order
Practice writing 绵 with real-time feedback — trace each stroke in the correct order and build muscle memory in the HanziFeed app.
Words & Compounds
Common Compounds
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 海绵noun | hǎi mián | (zoology) sea sponge |
| 绵羊noun | mián yáng | sheep |
| 缠绵adjective | chán mián | touching (emotions) |
| 软绵绵adjective | ruǎn mián mián | soft |
| 绵绵adjective | mián mián | continuous |
| 连绵verb | lián mián | continuous |
| 绵延verb | mián yán | (esp. of a mountain range) to be continuous |
| 绵薄noun | mián bó | my humble effort |
| 绵绵不绝phrase | mián mián bù jué | continuous |
| 绵力noun | mián lì | one's limited power (humble expr.) |
| 绵长adjective | mián cháng | long and continuous (coastline, sound etc) |
| 绵里藏针 | mián lǐ cáng zhēn | lit. a needle concealed in silk floss (idiom) |
| 延绵 | yán mián | to extend continuously |
| 连绵不绝phrase | lián mián bù jué | (idiom) continuous |
| 牛海绵状脑病 | niú hǎi mián zhuàng nǎo bìng | bovine spongiform encephalopathy, BSE |
绵 appears in 44 compound words: 52 as the first character, 18 as the last, and 30 in a middle position. Compound statistics computed from SUBTLEX-CH and HSK 3.0 vocabulary data.
Strongest Collocations
Characters that most frequently co-occur with 绵 in natural Chinese text, ranked by NPMI (Normalized Pointwise Mutual Information) — a statistical measure of association strength.
Idioms & Chengyu (6)
to be continuous; to be unceasing; to be ceaseless; to be unending; to be uninterrupted
to be continuous; to be unceasing; to be ceaseless; to be unending; to be uninterrupted
Showing 5 of 6 idioms containing 绵.
Example Sentences
绵字虽然难写，但意思很有趣。
mián zì suī rán nán xiě , dàn yì sī hěn yǒu qù .
The character "绵" may be difficult to write, but its meaning is quite interesting.
男人勃不起是什么原因引起的呢?年龄增长海绵体平滑肌减少吗
nán rén bó bù qǐ shì shén má yuán yīn yǐn qǐ de ne ? nián líng zēng cháng hǎi mián tǐ píng huá jī jiǎn shǎo ma
What causes men to have an erection? Does smooth muscle of the corpus cavernosum decrease with age?
...岁阴茎不硬怎么办?每周规律性生活能维持海绵体弹性吗
. . . suì yīn jīng bù yìng zěn má bàn ? měi zhōu guī lǜ xìng shēng huó néng wéi chí hǎi mián tǐ dàn xìng ma
... What should I do if my penis is not hard? Can regular sex every week maintain the elasticity of the corpus cavernosum?
医院男科性功能检查项目有哪些?球海绵体反射测试做什么用
yī yuàn nán kē xìng gōng néng jiǎn chá xiàng mù yǒu nǎ xiē ? qiú hǎi mián tǐ fǎn shè cè shì zuò shén má yòng
What are the andrology sexual function examination items in the hospital? What is the bulbocavernosal reflex test used for?
老年人不能硬?长期不用会导致海绵体纤维化吗
lǎo nián rén bù néng yìng ? cháng qī bù yòng huì dǎo zhì hǎi mián tǐ qiàn wéi huà ma
Elderly people can't be hard? Will long-term use lead to fibrosis of the corpus cavernosum?
茶叙妙语...韩国瑜:不要化骨绵掌 赖清德:专长止咳化痰
chá xù miào yǔ . . . hán guó 瑜 : bù yāo huà gǔ mián zhǎng lài qīng dé : zhuān cháng zhǐ hāi huà tán
Tea narrative punchline... Han Guoyu: Don't turn bones into cotton palms Lai Qingde: Specialize in relieving cough and phlegm
你的嘴唇软绵绵的，就像仙人掌的表皮一样。
Nǐ de zuǐchún ruǎnmiánmián de, jiù xiàng xiānrénzhǎng de biǎopí yīyàng.
Your lips are soft like the surface of a cactus.
萨米是海绵宝宝粉丝。
Sà mǐ shì Hǎimián Bǎobǎo fěnsī.
Sami is a SpongeBob fan.
不求情意绵绵，但求天长地久。
Bù qiúqíng yì miánmián, dàn qiú tiānchángdìjiǔ.
Love me lithe, love me long.
绵羊提供我们羊毛。
Miányáng tígōng wǒmen yángmáo.
Sheep provide us with wool.
Character Family
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 绵 (mián) mean in Chinese?
What's the difference between 绵 and 硬?
How many strokes does 绵 have?
What is the radical of 绵?
What are the components of 绵?
What are common words containing 绵?
What characters sound the same as 绵 (mián)?
Is 绵 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?
Practice writing 绵 with real-time feedback
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