衬衫

• Pinyin: chèn shān
• Hanzi breakdown: 衬 = 衤(clothing) + 寸 (inch, phonetic); 衫 = 衤(clothing) + 彡 (hair/decoration strokes)

Meaning

Shirt; dress shirt. A garment with a collar and buttons worn on the upper body.

Specifically refers to a collared button-up shirt, typically more formal than a T-shirt (T恤). Can be long-sleeved or short-sleeved. Used for both men's and women's shirts. Common in phrases like 白衬衫 (white shirt) and 条纹衬衫 (striped shirt).

Examples

1. 他今天穿了一件蓝色的衬衫，很帅。 He wore a blue shirt today and looked very handsome.
2. 面试的时候最好穿一件白衬衫。 It's best to wear a white shirt for a job interview.
3. 这件衬衫的质量很好，穿了两年还像新的。 This shirt is of excellent quality — it still looks new after two years of wear.

Usage Guide

Context: clothing, shopping, work

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 你这件衬衫很好看，在哪儿买的？(This shirt of yours looks great — where did you buy it?)
• 他总是穿着整洁的衬衫去上班。(He always wears a neat shirt to work.)

Don't Say

• 穿了一件T恤衬衫 (Don't combine T恤 and 衬衫 — they are different garments; T恤 is a T-shirt, 衬衫 is a button-up shirt)

Origin & History

Compound of 衬 (lining, to line) and 衫 (unlined upper garment), originally referring to an inner garment, now the standard term for a button-up shirt.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal