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March 24, 2026
翁wēng(Weng1)
翁 (wēng) refers to an old man or a father figure, often used in a respectful context. It can also denote a father-in-law and is used as a surname in China. The character conveys wisdom and age, often associated with traditional roles in family hierarchies.
Strokes10Radical羽Frequency#14192DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the concept of respecting elders is deeply ingrained, and terms like 翁 reflect this reverence. In many families, the father-in-law holds a significant position, often influencing family decisions.
Memory Tip
Imagine an elderly man (翁) sitting on a bench, wearing a long robe that flows like neck feathers. The shape of the character can remind you of him with a wise, feathered hat symbolizing his wisdom and experience.
Meanings of 翁
wēng(Weng1)
1old man; father, father-in-law
2neck feathers of a bird (old)
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 翁
翁Simplified
10Strokes
羽Radical
人名míngcíproper noun (pr.n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2
Podcast: 翁
Podcast: 翁
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AI Study Notes for 翁
Usage Notes
翁 is often used in formal contexts, especially when referring to elders or in respectful address. Common collocations include '翁婿' (father-in-law and son-in-law) and '翁妪' (old man and old woman). Be cautious with tones; mispronouncing 'wēng' as 'wěng' will change its meaning.
HSK Study Tips
Although 翁 is not included in the HSK, it connects with other familial terms at similar levels, such as '父亲' (father) and '爷爷' (grandfather). Focus on understanding familial hierarchies and respectful terms for elders when studying this character.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 翁 with similar characters like 夫 (fū), which means 'husband.' A common mistake is saying '翁' when referring to a younger man; correction: use '男' (nán) for 'man' instead.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 翁
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Phonosemantic compound. 羽 represents the meaning and 公 represents the sound.
1The meaning half羽 carries the sense.
2The sound half公 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawayfeather
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 翁? 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 翁?
Decomposition of 翁
IDS Structure⿱公羽
翁Full Character
=
公gong1
top
羽yu3
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 翁?
How to say surname Weng in Chinese
“surname Weng” in Chinese is翁wēng
翁 (wēng) refers to an old man or a father figure, often used in a respectful context. It can also denote a father-in-law and is used as a surname in China. The character conveys wisdom and age, often associated with traditional roles in family hierarchies.
When to use 翁
翁 is often used in formal contexts, especially when referring to elders or in respectful address. Common collocations include '翁婿' (father-in-law and son-in-law) and '翁妪' (old man and old woman). Be cautious with tones; mispronouncing 'wēng' as 'wěng' will change its meaning.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 翁 with similar characters like 夫 (fū), which means 'husband.' A common mistake is saying '翁' when referring to a younger man; correction: use '男' (nán) for 'man' instead.
Write 翁
翁
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Practice writing 翁 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 翁
翁 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Exercise 1 of 5
Complete the Sentence
我问麦基____重聚是不是为了寻求解脱。
I asked McKeown if the reunion was meant to achieve closure.
Example Sentences for 翁 (10)
Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
我问麦基翁重聚是不是为了寻求解脱。
wǒ wèn mài jī wēng zhòng jù shì bù shì wéi le xún qiú jiě tuō。
I asked McKeown if the reunion was meant to achieve closure.
2
卡翁达总统兑现了他的承诺，宣布了全民公决的日期。
kǎ wēng dá zǒng tǒng duì xiàn le tā de chéng nuò， ， xuān bù le quán mín gōng jué de rì。
President Kaunda fulfilled his promise of announcing a date for the referendum.
