Japanese word

錦

Pronunciation

Romajinishiki

Meaning

  • nounbrocade

Example

この着物は錦で仕立てられています。ko no ki mono wa nishiki de shi ta te ra re te i ma su

This kimono is made of brocade.

Illustration for 錦 (brocade)

More examples

祝いの席で、祖母から贈られた錦の帯を締めました。iwa i no seki de so bo ka ra oku ra re ta nishiki no obi o shi me ma shi ta

At the celebration, I put on the brocade obi my grandmother gave me.

Core concept

Refers to a richly patterned fabric whose design is woven into its surface rather than printed or painted.

Common phrases

  • 錦の帯nishiki no obi

    a brocade obi

Similar words

金襴kinran: A richly woven fabric that uses gold thread or gold-colored thread in its pattern.
唐織karaori: A Japanese figured textile with raised patterns formed by supplementary weft threads.

Definition in Japanese

色糸や金糸などを織り込み、表面に模様を浮き出させた織物。iro ito ya kin shi na do o o ri ko mi hyō men ni mo yō o u ki da sa se ta ori mono

Word origin

The origin of 錦 (nishiki, "brocade") is uncertain, but its written form uses the Chinese character 錦 (nishiki, "brocade"), which originally referred to richly patterned silk fabric.

Usage tips

  • English product descriptions use brocade for furniture upholstery as well as clothing, so the material term is not limited to garments.

Word lists with this word