纹

Tap the pinyin to hear it

line; trace; mark; pattern; grain (of wood etc); to tattoo

Sound it out + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Phono-semantic compound (形声字)

纟 meaning “thread” + 文 sound ( wén )

Components 纟文

design · Heisig RSH #2714

thread + Highlander

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
纹风不动	wén fēng bù dòng	absolutely still; fig. not the slightest change; also written 文風不動\|文风不动
眼纹黄山雀	yǎn wén huáng shān què	(bird species of China) Himalayan black-lored tit (Machlolophus xanthogenys)
纹丝不动	wén sī bù dòng	to not move a single jot (idiom)
有条纹	yǒu tiáo wén	striped
鱼尾纹	yú wěi wén	crow's feet
纹丝儿	wén sī r	erhua variant of 紋絲\|纹丝[wen2 si1]
水纹	shuǐ wén	ripples
美纹纸胶带	měi wén zhǐ jiāo dài	masking tape
花纹	huā wén	decorative design
纹面	wén miàn	variant of 文面[wen2 mian4]
西南冠纹柳莺	xī nán guān wén liǔ yīng	(bird species of China) Blyth's leaf warbler (Phylloscopus reguloides)
平纹	píng wén	plain weave
法令纹	fǎ lìng wén	nasolabial fold; smile lines; laugh lines
纹理	wén lǐ	vein lines (in marble or fingerprint); grain (in wood etc)
罗纹	luó wén	rib (in fabric); ribbed pattern
纹头斑翅鹛	wén tóu bān chì méi	(bird species of China) hoary-throated barwing (Actinodura nipalensis)
华南冠纹柳莺	Huá nán guān wén liǔ yīng	(bird species of China) Hartert's leaf warbler (Phylloscopus goodsoni)
纹路	wén lù	veined pattern; wrinkles; vein lines (in marble or fingerprint); grain (in wood etc)
龙纹	lóng wén	dragon (as a decorative design)
虎纹伯劳	hǔ wén bó láo	(bird species of China) tiger shrike (Lanius tigrinus)

Characters sharing the sound component 文 — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
文 sound part	wén	culture, literature, writing
刘	liú	to kill, to destroy; surname
蚊	wén	mosquito, gnat
坟	fén	grave, mound, bulge; bulging
汶	wèn	a river in Shandong province
忞	mǐn	to psych up; to steel one's nerves
紊	wěn	tangled; confused, disordered
玟	mín	gem, jade-like stone
炆	wén	to simmer, to cook over a slow fire
雯	wén	cloud patterns; storm clouds