Chinese word

棉

Pronunciation

Pinyinmián

Meaning

  • nouncotton

Example

她的衬衫是棉的。tā de chèn shān shì mián de

Her shirt is made of cotton.

Illustration for 棉 (cotton)

More examples

这条毛巾是棉质的，吸水性好。zhè tiáo máo jīn shì mián zhì dì xī shuǐ xìng hǎo

This towel is made of cotton and absorbs water well.

Core concept

Soft, moisture-absorbing plant fiber spun into clothing, bedding, towels, and other everyday cloth.

Common phrases

  • 棉花mián huā

    cotton flower

  • 棉质mián zhì

    cotton fabric

  • 棉服mián fú

    cotton clothing

Similar words

棉花mián huā: White, fluffy natural fiber from a cotton plant, used to make thread and cloth.
棉布mián bù: Soft cloth woven from cotton, often used for clothing, bedding, and household items.
纤维xiān wéi: A thin material from natural or manufactured sources that can form thread, yarn, or cloth.
棉被mián bèi: A light, warm quilt filled with cotton for use as bedding.

Definition in Chinese

棉花的纤维，柔软且吸湿，常用来制作衣物、床上用品和毛巾等日常用布料。mián huā de xiān wéi róu ruǎn qiě xī shī cháng yòng lái zhì zuò yī wù chuáng shàng yòng pǐn hé máo jīn děng rì cháng yòng bù liào

Word origin

The character 棉 (mián, "cotton") combines 木 (mù, "tree"), which points to the plant, with 帛 (bó, "silk cloth"), which mainly supplies the sound and a textile association.

Usage tips

  • Material labels often add a percentage or a blend description when the exact fabric matters, so a simple material word and a full clothing label do not provide the same level of detail.

Opposites

  • 化学纤维huà xué xiān wéisynthetic fibernoun
  • 人造纤维rén zào xiān wéiartificial fibernoun

Related words

  • 棉纱mián shācotton yarnnoun
  • 棉絮mián xùcotton battingnoun
  • 棉籽mián zǐcottonseednoun

Word lists with this word