衣 yī / yì — clothes; gown; to dress; to wear
妈妈把洗好的衣服晾在阳台上。Mā ma bǎ xǐ hǎo de yī fu liàng zài yáng tái shàng.Mom hung the washed clothes on the balcony.
Common words: 衣服 (yī fu)、大衣 (dà yī)、洗衣机 (xǐ yī jī)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "gown"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "gown", including 衣 (yī / yì), 袍 (páo). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "gown" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 衣 (yī / yì), 袍 (páo) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span yī, yì, páo — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 衣 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 衣 yī / yìclothes; gown; to dress; to wearUseful words: 衣服, 大衣
- 袍 páogown (lined)Useful words: 旗袍, 袍子
Common words for these 2 "gown" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 衣 (yī / yì) — so "gown" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
衣服yī fuclothes大衣dà yīovercoat; topcoat; cloak洗衣机xǐ yī jīwashing machine; washer旗袍qí páocheongsam, a traditional Chinese dress for women, originally a long robe worn by Manchu women, later modernized in 20th-century Shanghai into a close-fitting dress with a high collar and side slits袍子páo ziChinese-style gown道袍dào páoTaoist robe; traditional men's gown
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "gown".
袍 páo — gown (lined)
京剧演员穿着华丽的戏袍上了台。Jīng jù yǎn yuán chuān zhe huá lì de xì páo shàng le tái.The Peking opera actor went on stage in a gorgeous costume robe.
Common words: 旗袍 (qí páo)、袍子 (páo zi)、道袍 (dào páo)
All 2 characters
Open 衣、袍 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.