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醬 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
醬jiàngsauce, paste, jamx, 18 strokes, radical 酉
jiàng(jiang4) T4
  1. 1sauce, paste, jam
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

醬jiàng(jiang4)

醬 (jiàng) refers to various types of thick liquids used as condiments in cooking, such as sauce, paste, or jam. It is commonly used in Chinese cuisine to enhance flavor, often accompanying dishes like dumplings or noodles. The character can also imply a more general sense of something that is thick and spreadable.

Strokes18Radical酉
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, sauces are integral to cooking and dining, with each region having its unique sauces that define local cuisine, such as Sichuan's spicy sauces or Cantonese sweet soy sauces.

Memory Tip

Imagine a giant sauce jar labeled 'jiàng' that bursts open, spilling a colorful mix of sauces. The top of the jar resembles the radical for 'liquids', and the sound 'jiàng' can be remembered by thinking of a chef joyfully shouting 'Yum!' as they pour it over their dish.

Meanings of 醬

jiàng(jiang4)
1sauce, paste, jam
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 醬

醬Simplified
18Strokes
酉Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 醬

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Podcast: 醬

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AI Study Notes for 醬

Quick Contrast

酱 (jiàng, sauce) vs 调味料 (tiáowèi liào, seasoning) — use 醬 specifically for thick, spreadable condiments, while 调味料 refers to a broader category of flavor enhancers.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 醬 with other similar-sounding words, as context is crucial. This word is mainly used in informal settings, especially in food-related conversations. Common collocations include 醬油 (soy sauce) and 辣醬 (hot sauce).

HSK Study Tips

While 醬 is not in the official HSK vocabulary list, it is related to food and cooking terms that learners encounter at HSK Level 2 and above. Focus on how to use it in phrases involving various cuisines to build your vocabulary around dining and cooking.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mix up 醬 with sauces that have specific names, like 醬油 (soy sauce) and 辣醬 (hot sauce). Remember that 醬 is a broader term and can refer to any type of thick sauce or paste.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 醬

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Etymology of 醬

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

wine

Semantic (meaning)酉
+
Phonetic (sound)將
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 醬

  1. 1The meaning half酉 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half將 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaywine
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 醬? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 醬?

Decomposition of 醬

IDS Structure⿱將酉
醬Full Character
=
將jiang1
top
酉you3
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 醬?

How to say sauce, paste, jam in Chinese

“sauce, paste, jam” in Chinese is醬jiàng

醬 (jiàng) refers to various types of thick liquids used as condiments in cooking, such as sauce, paste, or jam. It is commonly used in Chinese cuisine to enhance flavor, often accompanying dishes like dumplings or noodles. The character can also imply a more general sense of something that is thick and spreadable.

When to use 醬

Be careful not to confuse 醬 with other similar-sounding words, as context is crucial. This word is mainly used in informal settings, especially in food-related conversations. Common collocations include 醬油 (soy sauce) and 辣醬 (hot sauce).

醬 or something close to it

酱 (jiàng, sauce) vs 调味料 (tiáowèi liào, seasoning) — use 醬 specifically for thick, spreadable condiments, while 调味料 refers to a broader category of flavor enhancers.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mix up 醬 with sauces that have specific names, like 醬油 (soy sauce) and 辣醬 (hot sauce). Remember that 醬 is a broader term and can refer to any type of thick sauce or paste.

Write 醬

醬

Practice writing 醬 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 醬

Words Containing This Character20
酱jiàngpaste醬
酱油jiàngyóusoy sauce醬油
番茄酱ketchup番茄醬
花生酱peanut butter花生醬
果酱guǒjiàngjam果醬
鱼子酱caviar魚子醬
肉酱minced meat sauce肉醬
酱紫dark reddish purple醬紫
黄酱yellow soybean paste (fermented and salted)黃醬
辣椒酱red pepper paste辣椒醬
豆瓣酱doubanjiang豆瓣醬
苹果酱apple sauce蘋果醬
芝麻酱sesame paste芝麻醬
油盐酱醋(lit.) oil, salt, soy sauce and vinegar油鹽醬醋
炸酱面zha jiang mian: ground pork simmered with salty fermented soybean paste (or other sauce) over thick wheat noodles炸醬麵
麻酱sesame paste麻醬
柴米油盐酱醋茶fig. life's daily necessities柴米油鹽醬醋茶
虾酱shrimp paste蝦醬
辣酱油Worcestershire sauce辣醬油
酱瓜pickled cucumber醬瓜
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 酱 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 醬

醬 (jiàng) is a general term for sauce, while 酱油 (jiàngyóu) specifically refers to soy sauce.

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