ZHIZHI 知止 · LEARN CHINESE DAILY

trousers; pants

12 strokes · 衤(clothing radical) + 库 (warehouse, sound kù) · HSK 2

Where 裤 comes from

The clothing radical 衤 dresses the character; 库 supplies the sound. Early Chinese 裤 were leg tubes without a seat — trousers proper arrived with northern horsemen, because you cannot ride in a robe. Fashion followed cavalry.

裤 in Chinese culture

King Wuling of Zhao's 胡服骑射 reform (307 BC) — 'wear barbarian trousers, shoot from horseback' — is the classic case study of pragmatism beating tradition: he put his court in pants and his kingdom in the saddle.

Example

裤子 kùzi — trousers

这条裤子有点儿长。
Zhè tiáo kùzi yǒudiǎnr cháng.
These trousers are a bit long.

How to remember it

The clothing 衤 warehouse 库 for your legs — TROUSERS.

Trousers count with 条 (strip) not 件: 一条裤子 — Chinese measure words see pants as one long strip, not an item.

Same sound, different tones

1st kū
to cry
3rd kǔ
bitter
4th kù
trousers

Words unlocked by 裤

裤子 kùzi
trousers
牛仔裤 niúzǎikù
jeans
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