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荒 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
荒
huāng
desolate
HSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 艹, rank #22540, Very Hard
荒
huāng
shortage
HSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 艹, rank #22540, Very Hard
荒
huāng
scarce
HSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 艹, rank #22540, Very Hard
荒
huāng
out of practice
HSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 艹, rank #22540, Very Hard
荒
huāng
absurd
HSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 艹, rank #22540, Very Hard
荒
huāng
uncultivated
HSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 艹, rank #22540, Very Hard
荒
huāng
to neglect
HSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 艹, rank #22540, Very Hard
荒
huāng
wasteland, desert; uncultivated
HSK 7, v, 9 strokes, radical 艹, rank #22540, Very Hard
huāng(huang1)huang T1
1desolate
2shortage
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
荒huāng(huang1)
The character 荒 (huāng) primarily refers to a state of desolation or neglect, often used to describe uncultivated land or a shortage of resources. It can also convey a sense of absurdity or being out of practice. This character is commonly found in contexts related to nature, agriculture, and personal skills.
Strokes9Radical艹Frequency#22540DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note
In Chinese culture, the concept of 荒 often relates to agricultural practices and the importance of cultivating land. The historical significance of managing farmland has deep roots in Chinese society, making this term relevant in discussions about food security and rural development.
Memory tip
Imagine a wild, uncultivated field (荒) where nothing grows. The left part, 艹, represents grass or plants, while the right part, 夅, can be visualized as a chaotic scene of neglect. To remember its pronunciation 'huāng', think of a 'wandering' mind that is 'out of practice' in focusing.
Meanings of 荒
huāng(huang1)
1desolate
2shortage
Exercise 1 of 2
By ear
Play it, then pick what 荒 means.
About 荒
荒Simplified
9Strokes
艹Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#22540Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2
Podcast: 荒
Podcast: 荒
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AI study notes for 荒
Quick Contrast
荒 (huāng) vs 贫 (pín): use 荒 for desolation or neglect, while 贫 refers specifically to poverty or lack of wealth.
Usage Notes
Be cautious not to confuse 荒 with its similar-sounding counterpart, 黄 (huáng), which means yellow. 荒 is generally used in more formal contexts, often related to discussions about land or skills, and can appear in phrases like '荒地' (wasteland) or '荒唐' (absurd).
HSK Study Tips
Although 荒 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, it connects well with HSK Level 3 words related to nature and land. Students should focus on understanding its use in context, particularly in descriptive phrases and idiomatic expressions.
Common Mistakes
Learners often mistakenly use 荒 in contexts that require a more positive or neutral word, such as saying '这片土地是荒' (This land is desolate) when they mean it is simply unused. The correct expression for unused but not necessarily negative land would be '这片土地是闲置的'.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 荒
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Example
Learning Lab
Knowing 荒 is seven skills, not one.
Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.
荒 = 芒 + 川. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 荒
IDS Structure⿱芒川
荒Full character
=
芒mang2
top
川Chuan1
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2
Parts
Which of these is part of 荒?
How to say desolate in Chinese
“desolate” in Chinese is荒huāng
The character 荒 (huāng) primarily refers to a state of desolation or neglect, often used to describe uncultivated land or a shortage of resources. It can also convey a sense of absurdity or being out of practice. This character is commonly found in contexts related to nature, agriculture, and personal skills.
When to use 荒
Be cautious not to confuse 荒 with its similar-sounding counterpart, 黄 (huáng), which means yellow. 荒 is generally used in more formal contexts, often related to discussions about land or skills, and can appear in phrases like '荒地' (wasteland) or '荒唐' (absurd).
荒 or something close to it
荒 (huāng) vs 贫 (pín): use 荒 for desolation or neglect, while 贫 refers specifically to poverty or lack of wealth.
What learners get wrong
Learners often mistakenly use 荒 in contexts that require a more positive or neutral word, such as saying '这片土地是荒' (This land is desolate) when they mean it is simply unused. The correct expression for unused but not necessarily negative land would be '这片土地是闲置的'.
Write 荒
荒
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Practice writing 荒 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar patterns of 荒
荒 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 8 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 4
Fill the gap
Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.
电影以写实开头，然后却发展成为____诞的幻想。
The film starts off realistically and then develops into a ridiculous fantasy.
Common confusions with 荒
荒vs慌
huāng
Same pronunciation, but different meanings.
Exercise 1 of 1
Which one
Which one means “desolate”?
or
Usage Notes for 荒
Usage with NeglectGrammar Tip
When using 荒 to convey neglect, it often follows a subject that indicates what is being neglected.
1
他对学习感到荒废。
He feels that he has neglected his studies.
Exercise 1 of 1
Get it right
Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.
他对学习感到____废。
He feels that he has neglected his studies.
Example sentences for 荒 (10)
Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
电影以写实开头，然后却发展成为荒诞的幻想。
diànyǐng yǐ xiě shí kāitóu， ránhòu què fāzhǎn chéngwéi huāngdàn de huànxiǎng。
The film starts off realistically and then develops into a ridiculous fantasy.
There was a patch of waste land behind the church.
6
我感觉那是对我们生活的一种干扰，让人感到荒唐可气。
wǒ gǎnjué nà shì duì wǒmen shēnghuó de yī zhǒng gānrǎo， ràng rén gǎndào huāngtáng kě qì。
I felt it was a grotesque intrusion into our lives.
7
不用遵照那套荒唐愚蠢的投资策略也可以做到。
búyòng zūnzhào nà tào huāngtáng yúchǔn de tóuzī cèlüè yě kěyǐ zuòdào。
It can be done without following some absurd, off-the-wall investment strategy.
8
那非常荒谬。
nà fēicháng huāngmiù。
That's absurd.
9
只有乘直升机才能进入那遥远的荒漠地区。
zhǐyǒu chéng zhíshēngjī cáinéng jìnrù nà yáoyuǎn de huāng mò dìqū。
The remote desert area is accessible only by helicopter.
10
那是一次荒唐的审判。
nà shì yī cì huāngtáng de shěnpàn。
It was a farcical trial.
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Word Family of 荒
Compounds4
谎huǎnglies
慌huāngto get panicky
謊huǎngto lie
塃huāng
Words containing this character20
荒谬huāngmiùabsurd荒謬
荒唐huāngtángbeyond belief
荒huāngdesolate
荒野huāngyěwilderness
荒地huāngdìwasteland
荒凉huāngliángdesolate荒涼
荒废huāngfèiwasted荒廢
荒山huāngshāndesert mountain
荒诞huāngdànbeyond belief荒誕
荒芜huāngwúovergrown荒蕪
荒漠huāngmòbarren
饥荒jīhuāngfamine饑荒
开荒kāihuāngto open up land (for agriculture)開荒
破天荒pòtiānhuāngunprecedented
荒岛huāngdǎobarren or uninhabited island荒島
荒原huāngyuánwasteland
蛮荒mánhuāngsavage蠻荒
荒漠化huāngmòhuàdesertification
荒郊huāngjiāodesolate area outside a town
天荒地老tiānhuāngdìlǎountil the end of time (idiom)
Exercise 1 of 4
Characters with 荒
What does 谎 mean?
Frequently asked questions about 荒
荒 (huāng) refers to desolation or neglect, while 荒唐 (huāngtáng) specifically means absurd or ridiculous. The latter is often used to describe something nonsensical or illogical.
Yes, 荒 is used in both formal and informal contexts, especially when discussing land or personal skills that have not been practiced.
Common phrases include '荒地' (wasteland) and '荒废' (to neglect or waste time), which highlight its meanings related to neglect and desolation.
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