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衆 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
衆zhòngmultitude, crowd; the publiczg, 12 strokes, radical 血
zhòng(zhong4)zhong T4
  1. 1multitude, crowd; the public
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March 24, 2026

衆zhòng(zhong4)

The character 衆 (zhòng) refers to a large number of people or a crowd, often implying a collective identity. It is commonly used in contexts discussing the public or general population, such as in political or social discussions where the opinions or needs of many are considered.

Strokes12Radical血
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, the idea of the 'public' or 'multitude' is significant, particularly in political discourse, where the needs of the '众' are often emphasized in governance and leadership discussions.

Memory tip

Imagine a large crowd of people, all wearing the same color shirt, symbolizing unity in multitude. The character 衆 resembles a group of people gathered closely together, and you can remember it by visualizing the sound 'zhòng' as the echo of many voices in unison.

Meanings of 衆

zhòng(zhong4)
1multitude, crowd; the public
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 衆 means.

About 衆

衆Simplified
12Strokes
血Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 衆

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Podcast: 衆

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AI Study Notes for 衆

Quick Contrast

众 (zhòng) vs 群 (qún): use 众 for a general crowd or populace, while 群 emphasizes a specific group or herd.

Usage Notes

While 衆 is often used in formal contexts, such as in 衆人 (zhòng rén - the public), learners should avoid using it in casual conversations where simpler terms like '人' (rén) might be more appropriate. Be careful with pronunciation; the tone is crucial, as saying it with a different tone can lead to confusion with other words.

HSK Study Tips

Although 衆 is not listed in HSK levels, it connects to concepts of groups and crowds found in HSK vocabulary. Students should focus on recognizing this character in reading materials to understand its use in discussions about society or community.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 衆 with other characters like 众 (zhòng) which has similar meanings but is more commonly used. For example, saying '我有很多朋友,都是衆' (Wǒ yǒu hěn duō péngyǒu, dōu shì zhòng) is incorrect; it should be '我有很多朋友,都是众' (Wǒ yǒu hěn duō péngyǒu, dōu shì zhòng).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 衆

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Etymology of 衆

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

Triple of 人 (person), depicts many people together. Simplified form of 眾.

Memory hint

side-by-side

Semantic (meaning)乑
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

What kind of character is 衆?

Decomposition of 衆

IDS Structure⿱血乑
衆Full character
=
血xue4
top
乑yin2
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 衆?

How to say multitude, crowd; the public in Chinese

“multitude, crowd; the public” in Chinese is衆zhòng

The character 衆 (zhòng) refers to a large number of people or a crowd, often implying a collective identity. It is commonly used in contexts discussing the public or general population, such as in political or social discussions where the opinions or needs of many are considered.

When to use 衆

While 衆 is often used in formal contexts, such as in 衆人 (zhòng rén - the public), learners should avoid using it in casual conversations where simpler terms like '人' (rén) might be more appropriate. Be careful with pronunciation; the tone is crucial, as saying it with a different tone can lead to confusion with other words.

衆 or something close to it

众 (zhòng) vs 群 (qún): use 众 for a general crowd or populace, while 群 emphasizes a specific group or herd.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 衆 with other characters like 众 (zhòng) which has similar meanings but is more commonly used. For example, saying '我有很多朋友,都是衆' (Wǒ yǒu hěn duō péngyǒu, dōu shì zhòng) is incorrect; it should be '我有很多朋友,都是众' (Wǒ yǒu hěn duō péngyǒu, dōu shì zhòng).

Write 衆

衆

Practice writing 衆 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Word Family of 衆

Words containing this character20
观众guānzhòngspectators觀眾
群众qúnzhòngmass群眾
公众gōngzhòngpublic公眾
众zhòngmany眾
众多zhòngduōnumerous眾多
大众dàzhòngthe masses大眾
与众不同yǔzhòngbùtóngto stand out from the masses (idiom)與眾不同
民众mínzhòngpopulace民眾
众人zhòngréneveryone眾人
听众tīngzhòngaudience聽眾
出众chūzhòngto stand out出眾
众所周知zhòngsuǒzhōuzhīas everyone knows (idiom)眾所周知
当众dāngzhòngin public當眾
合众国federated nation合眾國
众议院Chamber of Deputies眾議院
大庭广众public place with numerous people大庭廣眾
众议员member of the US House of Representatives眾議員
众生all living things眾生
群众性to do with the masses群眾性
众矢之的attacked on all sides眾矢之的
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 衆

What does 观众 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 衆

You can say '众人皆知' (zhòng rén jiē zhī), which means 'it's known to all'.

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