绵 mián continuous
continuous; unbroken; silk; soft
How to remember 绵: 纟 silk + 帛 silk cloth = continuous. Grandma pulls one strand of silk from the edge of the silk cloth, and it runs across the whole room, long and continuous.
Component breakdown
绵 = 纟 silk + 帛 silk cloth
- 纟 silk
- 帛 silk cloth
Grandma pulls one strand of silk from the edge of the silk cloth, and it runs across the whole room, long and continuous.
How it came to be
The character joins silk thread and silk cloth; the thread once stood on the right and later moved to the left.
How it is used
- Soft/continuous/unbroken (like silk floss): 绵软 (miánruǎn) soft and tender, 连绵 (liánmián) continuous/unbroken (连绵不断 stretching on and on, of mountains/rain).
- 绵延 (miányán) means to stretch continuously; 海绵 (hǎimián) is a sponge; 绵羊 (miányáng) a sheep; 缠绵 (chánmián) means lingering/tender (feelings, illness).