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張 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
張zhāngto display; to expand, to open; to stretch; a sheet of paperzg, 11 strokes, radical 弓, rank #26722, Very Hard
zhāng(zhang1) T1
  1. 1to display; to expand, to open; to stretch; a sheet of paper
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

張zhāng(zhang1)

The character 張 (zhāng) has several meanings including 'to display' or 'to open up', often used in contexts where something is being spread out or unfolded. It can also refer to a sheet of paper or a measure word for flat objects, indicating its utility in both physical and abstract expansions.

Strokes11Radical弓Frequency#26722DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the act of displaying something, such as art or achievements, is often seen as significant. This reflects a cultural appreciation for sharing knowledge and beauty in public spaces.

Memory Tip

Imagine a large piece of paper (張) being stretched out to display a beautiful painting. The action of stretching (zhāng) connects to the character's meaning and pronunciation, helping you remember both the sound and the significance.

Meanings of 張

zhāng(zhang1)
1to display; to expand, to open; to stretch; a sheet of paper
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 張

張Simplified
11Strokes
弓Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 張

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Podcast: 張

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AI Study Notes for 張

Quick Contrast

展 (zhǎn) — use 張 (zhāng) when referring to opening up or displaying something in a broader context, while 展 (zhǎn) is more specific to the act of exhibiting or presenting.

Usage Notes

張 (zhāng) can be used in both formal and informal contexts, but it’s important to use it correctly with measure words. Common mistakes include confusing it with similar-sounding characters like '章' (zhāng, chapter), which has a different meaning.

HSK Study Tips

While 張 is not listed in the HSK levels, it shares roots with other characters related to opening, displaying, and flat objects. Learners should focus on its applications in daily conversations, especially when discussing items like paper or presentations.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 張 (zhāng) with 薑 (jiāng), which means ginger, due to similar pronunciation. Ensure you remember the context of use: 張 is about stretching or displaying, while 薑 refers to the spice.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 張

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Etymology of 張

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

Simplified form of 張. Phonosemantic compound. 弓 represents the meaning and 長 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

bow

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 張

Simplified form of 張. Phonosemantic compound. 弓 represents the meaning and 長 represents the sound.

  1. 1The meaning half弓 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half長 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaybow
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 張? 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 張?

Decomposition of 張

IDS Structure⿰弓長
張Full Character
=
弓Gong1
left
長zhang3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 張?

How to say to display; to expand, to open; to stretch; a sheet of paper in Chinese

“to display; to expand, to open; to stretch; a sheet of paper” in Chinese is張zhāng

The character 張 (zhāng) has several meanings including 'to display' or 'to open up', often used in contexts where something is being spread out or unfolded. It can also refer to a sheet of paper or a measure word for flat objects, indicating its utility in both physical and abstract expansions.

When to use 張

張 (zhāng) can be used in both formal and informal contexts, but it’s important to use it correctly with measure words. Common mistakes include confusing it with similar-sounding characters like '章' (zhāng, chapter), which has a different meaning.

張 or something close to it

展 (zhǎn) — use 張 (zhāng) when referring to opening up or displaying something in a broader context, while 展 (zhǎn) is more specific to the act of exhibiting or presenting.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 張 (zhāng) with 薑 (jiāng), which means ginger, due to similar pronunciation. Ensure you remember the context of use: 張 is about stretching or displaying, while 薑 refers to the spice.

Write 張

張

Practice writing 張 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 張

Words Containing This Character20
张zhāngto open up張
紧张jǐnzhāngnervous緊張
扩张kuòzhāngexpansion擴張
主张zhǔzhāngto advocate主張
夸张kuāzhāngto exaggerate誇張
张开to open up張開
开张kāizhāngto open a business開張
张扬zhāngyángto make public張揚
张力tension張力
嚣张rampant囂張
张艺谋Zhang Yimou (1950-), PRC film director張藝謀
张贴zhāngtiēto advertise張貼
纸张paper紙張
慌张huāngzhāngconfused慌張
伸张shēnzhāngto promote伸張
虚张声势(false) bravado虛張聲勢
张嘴to gape張嘴
张口to gape張口
张望to look around張望
张柏芝Cecilia Cheung (1980-), Hong Kong actress and pop singer張柏芝
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 张 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 張

張 is commonly used to refer to sheets of paper or to describe actions like opening or displaying something.

Jason Recommends

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