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磚 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
磚zhuāntile, brickx, 16 strokes, radical 石
zhuān(zhuan1) T1
  1. 1tile, brick
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

磚zhuān(zhuan1)

The character 磚 (zhuān) means 'brick' or 'tile', specifically referring to a solid block used in construction. It is commonly used in contexts related to building, architecture, and masonry. The term can also imply durability and strength, as bricks are foundational materials in structures.

Strokes16Radical石
Cultural Note

Bricks have been a fundamental part of Chinese architecture for centuries, symbolizing stability and endurance. They are often used in traditional building styles, especially in rural areas, where brick houses represent a connection to heritage.

Memory Tip

Imagine a sturdy brick that looks like a square (the shape of 磚) and think of a 'zhuān' (sounds like 'swan') gliding gracefully over a building site. The top part (石) resembles a stone, which relates to the material of bricks, while the bottom part (专) can represent specialty, indicating the specific use of bricks in construction.

Meanings of 磚

zhuān(zhuan1)
1tile, brick
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 磚

磚Simplified
16Strokes
石Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 磚

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Podcast: 磚

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 磚

Quick Contrast

砖 (zhuān) vs 瓦 (wǎ) — use 瓦 when referring to tiles or roofing materials, while 磚 specifically indicates bricks used in construction.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 磚 (zhuān) with other similar-sounding words like 专 (zhuān), which means 'special' or 'to specialize'. This term is generally neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts, often collocating with words related to construction, such as 砌 (qì, to build) or 墙 (qiáng, wall).

HSK Study Tips

While 磚 is not at a specific HSK level, it relates to vocabulary around construction and materials, which are useful for everyday contexts. Students should focus on recognizing its components and how it relates to other building-related words.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 磚 (zhuān) with 磨 (mó, to grind), leading to incorrect usage in construction contexts. Remember, 磚 specifically refers to bricks, while 磨 relates to grinding or polishing.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 磚

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Etymology of 磚

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

Phonosemantic compound. 石 represents the meaning and 专 represents the sound. Simplified form of 磚.

Memory Hint

stone

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 磚

Phonosemantic compound. 石 represents the meaning and 专 represents the sound. Simplified form of 磚.

  1. 1The meaning half石 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half專 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaystone
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 磚? 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 磚?

Decomposition of 磚

IDS Structure⿰石專
磚Full Character
=
石dan4
left
專zhuan1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 磚?

How to say tile, brick in Chinese

“tile, brick” in Chinese is磚zhuān

The character 磚 (zhuān) means 'brick' or 'tile', specifically referring to a solid block used in construction. It is commonly used in contexts related to building, architecture, and masonry. The term can also imply durability and strength, as bricks are foundational materials in structures.

When to use 磚

Be careful not to confuse 磚 (zhuān) with other similar-sounding words like 专 (zhuān), which means 'special' or 'to specialize'. This term is generally neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts, often collocating with words related to construction, such as 砌 (qì, to build) or 墙 (qiáng, wall).

磚 or something close to it

砖 (zhuān) vs 瓦 (wǎ) — use 瓦 when referring to tiles or roofing materials, while 磚 specifically indicates bricks used in construction.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 磚 (zhuān) with 磨 (mó, to grind), leading to incorrect usage in construction contexts. Remember, 磚 specifically refers to bricks, while 磨 relates to grinding or polishing.

Write 磚

磚

Practice writing 磚 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 磚

Words Containing This Character17
砖zhuānbrick磚
瓷砖ceramic tile瓷磚
砖头brick磚頭
地砖floor tile地磚
砖块brick磚塊
敲门砖to use sb as a stepping stone to fortune敲門磚
抛砖引玉lit. throw out a brick and get jade thrown back (idiom)拋磚引玉
添砖加瓦fig. to do one's bit to help添磚加瓦
冰砖ice-cream brick冰磚
耐火砖firebrick耐火磚
砖瓦tiles and bricks磚瓦
砌砖to lay bricks砌磚
砖窑场brick kiln磚窯場
镁砖magnesium brick (refractory material)鎂磚
引玉之砖lit. a brick thrown to prompt others to produce a jade (idiom)引玉之磚
软木砖cork tile軟木磚
搬砖砸脚to boomerang搬磚砸腳
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 砖 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 磚

It is pronounced as 'zhuān'.

Jason Recommends

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