Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
償cháng(chang2)
The character 償 (cháng) means to repay or to recompense, typically in the context of returning a favor or compensating someone for a loss. It is often used in financial contexts or formal situations where restitution is required. This term carries a sense of obligation to restore balance or fairness.
Strokes17Radical亻Frequency#53452DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the concept of repayment is deeply rooted in social relationships and obligations, often emphasized in the context of friendships and familial ties. Failing to repay a favor can be seen as a breach of trust.
Memory Tip
Imagine a person holding a scale (the radical 儿 represents balance) and trying to repay a debt. The scale tipping back to even symbolizes the act of recompensing or repaying what is owed, making 'cháng' sound like 'change' when you repay.
Meanings of 償
cháng(chang2)
1to repay, to recompense; restitution
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 償
償Simplified
17Strokes
亻Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
Podcast: 償
Podcast: 償
Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you
New here?
AI Study Notes for 償
Quick Contrast
偿 (cháng) vs 还 (huán) — use 償 when emphasizing the obligation to repay, while 还 is more general for returning something.
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine a person holding a scale (the radical 儿 represents balance) and trying to repay a debt. The scale tipping back to even symbolizes the act of recompensing or repaying what is owed, making 'cháng' sound like 'change' when you repay.
Usage Notes
償 is more formal and is commonly used in written Chinese or in legal contexts. Be cautious not to confuse it with '偿' (cháng) which can mean to compensate in a more general sense. Common collocations include '償還' (to repay) and '賠償' (to compensate).
HSK Study Tips
償 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, but it is related to words like '還' (huán - to return) and '賠' (péi - to compensate). Students should focus on understanding its formal usage and context.
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the concept of repayment is deeply rooted in social relationships and obligations, often emphasized in the context of friendships and familial ties. Failing to repay a favor can be seen as a breach of trust.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 償 with other characters like '還' (huán), leading to incorrect usage in sentences about repayment. For example, saying '我需要還這筆錢' (I need to repay this money) is correct, but using 償 might sound overly formal or incorrect in casual contexts.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 償
Premium — Locked
AI tone practice
Pro
Drill the tone of 償 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.
New here? to save your writing progress and earn XP.
Practice writing 償 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Write correctly 3 times to earn XP
Cultural Notes for 償
🏮Cultural insight
In Chinese culture, the concept of repayment is deeply rooted in social relationships and obligations, often emphasized in the context of friendships and familial ties. Failing to repay a favor can be seen as a breach of trust.
Word Family of 償
Words Containing This Character17
补偿bǔchángto compensate補償
赔偿péichángto compensate賠償
偿还chánghuánto repay償還
偿chángto repay償
无偿wúchángfree無償
赔偿金compensation賠償金
如愿以偿rúyuànyǐchángto have one's wish fulfilled如願以償
有偿paying有償
清偿to redeem清償
偿命to pay with one's life償命
得不偿失débùchángshīthe gains do not make up for the losses (idiom)得不償失
偿付to pay back償付
补偿费compensation補償費
抵偿to compensate抵償
报偿repay報償
偿债to repay a debt償債
偿清to repay償清
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 补偿 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 償
償 is primarily used in written Chinese and formal contexts, so you might not hear it often in casual conversation.
Common phrases include '償還' (to repay) and '賠償' (to compensate), which are useful for understanding its practical usage.
