锦 jǐn brocade
brocade; tapestry; embroidered
怎么记住“锦”: 钅 gold + 帛 silk cloth = brocade. Grandma's wedding dress is woven with gold thread into red silk cloth, a heavy brocade she still keeps in the cupboard.
部件结构
形声 · Meaning + sound
One part gives the meaning, the other gives the sound.
锦 = 钅 gold + 帛 silk cloth
- 钅 gold sound
- 帛 silk cloth meaning
Grandma's wedding dress is woven with gold thread into red silk cloth, a heavy brocade she still keeps in the cupboard.
How it came to be
Silk cloth gives the meaning and gold gives the sound.
用法
- Brocade, richly woven silk, hence a byword for splendid and beautiful: 锦绣 (jǐnxiù) gorgeous, 前程似锦 (qiánchéng sì jǐn) a future bright as brocade.
- 锦上添花 (jǐnshàng-tiānhuā) 'add flowers to brocade' = to make something already good even better: contrast 雪中送炭 (help when it's truly needed).
- 锦旗 (jǐnqí) is the embroidered silk banner given as a token of thanks.