绸 (chóu) is a Chinese character meaning “silk fabric”. It is written from 纟 (silk; thread (left-side form)) and 周 (week; circuit; all around), side by side, and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “silk cloth”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
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Structure
纟 + 周
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分，以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：11 画 = 纟 3 画 + 周 8 画；部首取康熙 120 糸部；声符判断只依据实测现代读音（周 zhōu / 绸 chóu：韵母同为 -ou，声母 zh→ch，声调 1→2）
Memory aid
Silk thread (纟) woven all the way around (周) becomes a smooth silk cloth. Both parts really are in this character.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 丝绸sī chóusilk fabric; silk cloth绸 = chóu
Go deeper
All readings
silk cloth
silk fabric; thin, soft silk cloth; silks
一种薄而软的丝织品，泛指丝织物。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 丝绸sī chóusilk fabric; silk cloth绸 = chóu
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 绸 mean?
绸 (chóu) means silk fabric; thin, soft silk cloth; silks.
How do you pronounce 绸?
It is pronounced chóu.
What parts is 绸 made of?
纟 (silk; thread (left-side form)) and 周 (week; circuit; all around), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分，以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：11 画 = 纟 3 画 + 周 8 画；部首取康熙 120 糸部；声符判断只依据实测现代读音（周 zhōu / 绸 chóu：韵母同为 -ou，声母 zh→ch，声调 1→2）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 绸 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 绸?
纟. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 绸?
Common ones are 丝绸. The reading of 绸 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.