丝绸
sī choú · HSK 7
silk
🧵 丝 = silk thread + 绸 = woven silk fabric
丝 (sī) is raw silk thread; 绸 (chóu) is finished silk cloth. Together they name silk as a material. The 纟 radical on both characters is the silk-thread radical, flagging anything textile-related.
丝 — two 糸 silk threads side by side
丝 is a pictograph showing two bundles of silk threads (糸) twisted together, representing raw silk. The original form depicted skeins of silk on a spindle. It later broadened to mean any fine thread or filament, and figuratively a tiny trace or amount.