茧 (jiǎn) is a Chinese character meaning “cocoon — the silk case a silkworm or moth larva spins”. It is written from 艹 (grass / plant radical) and 虫 (insect; bug; worm), one above the other, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “cocoon”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
艹 + 虫
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: studyhanzi 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画：0–2 为「艹」3 笔，3–8 与「虫」逐笔对应 6 笔，合计 9 笔）
Memory aid
Leaves (艹) wrapped around a worm (虫): the silkworm eats the leaves, then spins itself shut inside a case — that case is a cocoon, 茧. Both parts really are in this character.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 蚕茧cán jiǎnsilkworm cocoon茧 = jiǎn
- 结茧jié jiǎnto spin a cocoon茧 = jiǎn
Go deeper
All readings
cocoon
cocoon — the silk case a silkworm or moth larva spins around itself; also a callus on the hand or foot
某些昆虫的幼虫在变成蛹之前吐丝做成的壳，如蚕茧；也指手脚上因摩擦长出的硬皮。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 蚕茧cán jiǎnsilkworm cocoon茧 = jiǎn
- 结茧jié jiǎnto spin a cocoon茧 = jiǎn
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 茧 mean?
茧 (jiǎn) means cocoon — the silk case a silkworm or moth larva spins around itself; also a callus on the hand or foot.
How do you pronounce 茧?
It is pronounced jiǎn.
What parts is 茧 made of?
艹 (grass / plant radical) and 虫 (insect; bug; worm), one above the other. The recorded source is: studyhanzi 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画：0–2 为「艹」3 笔，3–8 与「虫」逐笔对应 6 笔，合计 9 笔）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 茧 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 茧?
艹. 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 茧?
Common ones are 蚕茧 and 结茧. The reading of 茧 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.