shirt; blouse
HSK level
衬衫 is written with 16 strokes (衬: 8, 衫: 8). The animation replays automatically.
衬衫 (chènshān) is the Chinese word for a button-up shirt or blouse — the kind with a collar and cuffs, worn for business, school uniforms, or formal occasions.
Both men's and women's button-up tops are 衬衫. Two things English speakers should note: first, 衬衫 does NOT cover T-shirts (T恤 / T xù) or sweaters (毛衣 máoyī) — it specifically means the collared, buttoned style. Second, the character 衬 originally means 'lining' or 'undergarment,' because traditionally these shirts were worn under an outer robe; today the lining nuance is gone but the character remains.
Like all upper-body clothing, 衬衫 uses the measure word 件 (jiàn). Common collocations include 白衬衫 (white shirt) and 穿衬衫 (to wear a shirt).
Character by character
Memory hook: Both characters carry the 衣 (clothing) radical on the left — a visual reminder that 衬衫 is something you wear.
他今天穿了一件白衬衫。
Tā jīntiān chuān le yí jiàn bái chènshān.
He's wearing a white shirt today.
neutral
这件衬衫太大了，有小一点的吗？
Zhè jiàn chènshān tài dà le, yǒu xiǎo yìdiǎn de ma?
This shirt is too big; do you have a smaller one?
spoken
我想买一件蓝色的衬衫。
Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yí jiàn lánsè de chènshān.
I want to buy a blue shirt.
spoken
上班的时候，他常常穿衬衫。
Shàngbān de shíhou, tā chángcháng chuān chènshān.
When he goes to work, he often wears a button-up shirt.
neutral
上衣 is a general term for any upper-body garment — could be a T-shirt, sweater, or jacket. 衬衫 is specifically a button-up shirt with a collar.
T恤 is a T-shirt — pullover, casual, no buttons. 衬衫 is the buttoned, collared style. They are not interchangeable.
毛衣 is a sweater (knit, often wool, pullover). 衬衫 is a woven, buttoned shirt. Different categories of clothing entirely.
外套 is an outer coat or jacket worn on top. 衬衫 is worn under a coat or on its own as the main top.
Acquire it by listening
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