裙

Denotes a garment covering the lower body, commonly translated as “skirt,” and by extension, any fabric or robe-like clothing hanging from the waist.

In broader East Asian usage, it also refers to the hem or train of a garment.

In modern Chinese, 裙子 (qúnzi) specifically means “a skirt,” while 長裙 (chángqún) means “a long skirt” or “dress.”

A phono-semantic compound consisting of:

衣 (옷 의) — semantic component, meaning “clothing.”

君 (임금 군) — phonetic component, giving the sound gun / qún.

Thus, 裙 literally denotes “a piece of clothing” with the sound of 君, indicating a lower garment.

In Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字):

「裙，下裳也。从衣，君聲。」

“裙 is the lower part of a garment; composed of 衣 (‘clothing’) and 君 as its sound.”

In Korean, the simple native equivalent 치마 is used in general contexts, while 군 (裙) appears mainly in Sino-Korean compounds or academic/literary contexts.

裙子 (치마, qúnzi) — skirt

長裙 (장군, chángqún) — long skirt, gown

短裙 (단군, duǎnqún) — short skirt

百褶裙 (백접군) — pleated skirt

牛仔裙 (우재군) — denim skirt

連衣裙 (연의군) — one-piece dress

舞裙 (무군) — dance skirt or costume

裙帶關係 (군대관계) — “nepotism,” literally “skirt-tie relations” (a figurative idiom describing personal influence through family ties)

In ancient Chinese attire, 裙 formed the lower portion (下裳) of women’s dress, paired with the upper garment (上衣).

This combination — 上衣下裳 — symbolized balance and harmony, reflecting cosmological dualities (Heaven–Earth, Yang–Yin).

The Book of Rites (禮記·玉藻) records:

「天子之服，冕而裳。」

“The emperor’s attire: a crown and a lower robe (裳).”

Although 裳 originally referred to the lower garment in general, by the Han dynasty 裙 emerged as the specific term for women’s skirts, often made of silk or light gauze.

In Korean traditional dress (hanbok), 裙 corresponds to the 치마 (chima) — the wide, high-waisted skirt worn over a jeogori (저고리).

Similarly, in Japanese, 裙 gave rise to 裙（くん）, an archaic form later replaced by 裳（も） or スカート in modern vocabulary.

The idiom 裙帶關係 (군대관계) — literally “skirt-tie relationships” — came to symbolize favoritism, nepotism, or influence via kinship ties, especially through women’s familial or marital connections.

In literature and art, 裙 often evokes grace, femininity, and softness, contrasting with the 袍 (robe) or 裳 (formal lower garment).

裙 evolved from describing the lower part of ancient attire to specifically denote a woman’s skirt.

The character retains strong cultural associations with femininity, elegance, and personal relationships, and remains common in modern vocabulary such as 裙子, 長裙, and idioms like 裙帶關係.