衣
The 衣 radical
Clothing, garment
Variants: 衤
Memory hook
A collar and the body of a garment
The 衣 radical (read yī) means clothing, garment. The HSK 3.0 data contains 24 characters and 128 words built on it — learning them together is far faster than one character at a time.
Practise the 衣 radical
Study this radical's 128 words with flashcards or a quiz.
The free plan drills 15 words per radical. Upgrade to Premium
Characters with the 衣 radical
24 charactersHSK 1· 1 characters
HSK 1衣
clothes, clothing
HSK 2· 2 characters
HSK 2表
watch (wristwatch)
装
to decorate; to install
HSK 3· 6 characters
HSK 3补
to mend; to patch
衫
shirt
衬
to line, pad
被
(marks the passive: affected by another's action)
裙
skirt (the lower part of women's clothing)
裤
trousers, pants
HSK 4· 3 characters
HSK 4袋
bag, sack, pouch
袜
sock, foot covering
裹
to wrap, to bundle
HSK 5· 1 characters
HSK 5裁
to cut (fabric)
HSK 6· 2 characters
HSK 6袖
sleeve
裂
to crack, to split
HSK 7-9· 9 characters
HSK 7-9衰
to decline
衷
innermost feelings, the heart
袁
a surname (a common surname in Chinese)
袍
robe, long gown
袭
to launch a surprise attack
袱
wrapping cloth, cloth used to bundle things
裔
descendant, posterity
裕
wealthy, well-off
裸
naked, nude
Vocabulary with the 衣 radical
128 wordsWords containing at least one character with the 衣 radical, ordered by HSK level.
The free plan shows 9 words per HSK level (52/128 words of this radical).
clothes; clothing
overcoat; coat
wristwatch
washing machine
watch (wristwatch)
to show; to indicate
to decorate; to install
top; upper garment
to represent; to stand for
delegation
to publish; to issue; to express (an opinion)
to install; to fit
clothing; attire
shorts
coat hanger
to mend; to patch
package, parcel
plastic bag, nylon bag
sweater
head (upper part of the body)
expression, facial look
to praise, to commend
bag, sack, pouch
socks
packaging, wrapping
CEO, president
jeans
compensation, reimbursement
subsidy, grant
passive
referee
to decorate
suit jacket
underwear
to split, to divide, to break apart
coat; outward appearance (a guise)
to modify, to refit, to convert
fashion, fashionable clothing
laundry detergent (powder)
to take extra tutoring, to give extra tutoring
subsidy, to subsidize
to retake an exam, to take a make-up exam
hereditary, to inherit (a throne, title, etc.)
to disguise oneself
to complement each other
to correct a mistake before it's too late
bearing, appearance
arbitration
to disguise, to camouflage
to repair, to mend
to pretend, to feign
Why learn vocabulary by the 衣 radical?
The 衣 radical hints at the meaning clothing, garment. When you meet an unfamiliar character carrying it, you already know part of its meaning before reaching for a dictionary — which is why learners who know their radicals move faster.
How to study: read the memory hook, skim the 24 characters to spot the pattern, then drill the 128 words with flashcards. Spaced repetition brings each word back exactly when you need it.