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March 24, 2026
肿(腫)zhǒng(zhong3)
The character 肿 (zhǒng) refers to the state of being swollen or an abnormal enlargement of body tissues. It is often used in medical contexts to describe conditions like tumors or swelling due to injury or inflammation, reflecting bodily changes and health issues.
Strokes8Radical⺼Frequency#6475DifficultyHard
Cultural Note
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, body swelling is often viewed as a sign of imbalances in the body's Qi. Understanding terms like 肿 can help learners appreciate how health and wellness are perceived in Chinese culture.
Memory Tip
Imagine a balloon (肿) that has been overfilled and is swelling up. The shape of the character can be seen as the balloon expanding, and the 'zh' sound resembles the hissing noise of air escaping when a balloon is overinflated.
Meanings of 肿
zhǒng(zhong3)
1to swell
2swelling
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 肿
肿Simplified
腫Traditional
8Strokes
⺼Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#6475Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L6IntermediateHSKKL3CEFRC1
Podcast: 肿
Podcast: 肿
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AI Study Notes for 肿
Quick Contrast
肿 (zhǒng) vs 膨 (péng) — use 肿 for abnormal swelling due to medical conditions, while 膨 refers to swelling due to expansion or inflation.
Usage Notes
肿 is commonly used in medical settings, so it carries a more formal tone. Learners should be careful not to confuse it with other similar terms like 膨胀 (péngzhàng), which means 'to expand' in a more general context. Remember to use the correct tone (zhǒng) to avoid miscommunication.
HSK Study Tips
Though 肿 is not included in the official HSK levels, it can be a useful term for learners at HSK 4 and above, especially those interested in health-related vocabulary. Focus on understanding how it combines with other characters to describe conditions like 肿瘤 (tumor) or 水肿 (edema).
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 肿 with similar sounding words. For example, using 'zhǒng' instead of 'zhòng' (重, meaning 'heavy'). Always verify the context of usage to ensure clarity.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 肿
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Phonosemantic compound. ⺼ represents the meaning and 中 represents the sound. Simplified form of 腫.
1The meaning half⺼ carries the sense.
2The sound half中 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawayflesh
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 肿? 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 肿?
Decomposition of 肿
IDS Structure⿰⺼中
肿Full Character
=
⺼rou4
left
中Zhong1
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 肿?
How to say to swell in Chinese
“to swell” in Chinese is肿zhǒng
The character 肿 (zhǒng) refers to the state of being swollen or an abnormal enlargement of body tissues. It is often used in medical contexts to describe conditions like tumors or swelling due to injury or inflammation, reflecting bodily changes and health issues.
When to use 肿
肿 is commonly used in medical settings, so it carries a more formal tone. Learners should be careful not to confuse it with other similar terms like 膨胀 (péngzhàng), which means 'to expand' in a more general context. Remember to use the correct tone (zhǒng) to avoid miscommunication.
肿 or something close to it
肿 (zhǒng) vs 膨 (péng) — use 肿 for abnormal swelling due to medical conditions, while 膨 refers to swelling due to expansion or inflation.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 肿 with similar sounding words. For example, using 'zhǒng' instead of 'zhòng' (重, meaning 'heavy'). Always verify the context of usage to ensure clarity.
Write 肿
肿
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Practice writing 肿 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 肿
肿 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.
