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葬 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
葬zàngto bury, to interHSK 7, vg, 12 strokes, radical 艹, rank #9532, Very Hard
葬zàngold variant of 葬[zàng]HSK 7, vg, 12 strokes, radical 艹, rank #9532, Very Hard
葬zàngold variant of 葬[zang4]HSK 7, unknown, 12 strokes, radical 艹, rank #9532, Very Hard
zàng(zang4) T4
  1. 1to bury, to inter
  2. 2old variant of 葬[zàng]
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

葬(塟)zàng(zang4)

The character 葬 (zàng) refers to the act of burying or interring a deceased person. It is commonly used in formal contexts related to funerals and burial rites, reflecting the cultural significance of honoring the dead in Chinese society.

Strokes12Radical艹Frequency#9532DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, burial practices are deeply rooted in filial piety and respect for ancestors, making the word 葬 significant in rituals and family traditions surrounding death.

Memory Tip

Think of 葬 (zàng) as a 'zang' (sound like 'zing') that echoes in the ground where the deceased is laid to rest. The radical 艹 (grass) at the top suggests something growing over the grave, symbolizing life continuing after death.

Meanings of 葬

zàng(zang4)
1to bury, to inter
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 葬

葬Simplified
塟Traditional
12Strokes
艹Radical
动语素dòngcíverb root (v.root)Part of Speech
#9532Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2

Podcast: 葬

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Podcast: 葬

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 葬

Quick Contrast

葬 (zàng) vs 埋 (mái) — choose 葬 for formal contexts related to burial rites, while 埋 is more general and can refer to burying objects.

Usage Notes

Be cautious with the tone, as mispronouncing it could lead to confusion with similar-sounding words. It is often used in formal expressions, such as 葬礼 (funeral) and 葬送 (to inter). Avoid using it in casual conversation about death.

HSK Study Tips

Although 葬 is not in the HSK vocabulary list, it connects with words related to death and funerals, such as 死 (sǐ, to die) and 墓 (mù, tomb). Focus on the context of use and its formal register.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 葬 (zàng) with similar-sounding words like 赞 (zàn, to praise). For instance, saying '我想葬他' (wǒ xiǎng zàng tā) instead of '我想赞他' (wǒ xiǎng zàn tā) can change the meaning entirely.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 葬

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Etymology of 葬

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Explanation

Depicts a dead body being buried beneath the grass.

Memory Hint

A corpse 死 laid 廾 to rest under the grass 艹

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 葬

Depicts a dead body being buried beneath the grass.

  1. 1The giveawayA corpse 死 laid 廾 to rest under the grass 艹
  2. 2On the record asideographic — someone drew an idea rather than an object.

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

Want the full history of 葬? 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 葬?

Decomposition of 葬

IDS Structure⿱艹⿱死廾
葬Full Character
=
艹cao3
top
死si3
top
廾gong3
bottom
Exercise 1 of 3

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 葬?

How to say to bury, to inter in Chinese

“to bury, to inter” in Chinese is葬zàng

The character 葬 (zàng) refers to the act of burying or interring a deceased person. It is commonly used in formal contexts related to funerals and burial rites, reflecting the cultural significance of honoring the dead in Chinese society.

When to use 葬

Be cautious with the tone, as mispronouncing it could lead to confusion with similar-sounding words. It is often used in formal expressions, such as 葬礼 (funeral) and 葬送 (to inter). Avoid using it in casual conversation about death.

葬 or something close to it

葬 (zàng) vs 埋 (mái) — choose 葬 for formal contexts related to burial rites, while 埋 is more general and can refer to burying objects.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 葬 (zàng) with similar-sounding words like 赞 (zàn, to praise). For instance, saying '我想葬他' (wǒ xiǎng zàng tā) instead of '我想赞他' (wǒ xiǎng zàn tā) can change the meaning entirely.

Write 葬

葬

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 葬

葬 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 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

他死的时候一文不名,____在一处无名墓穴中。

He did die a pauper and is buried in an unmarked grave.

Example Sentences for 葬 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
他死的时候一文不名,葬在一处无名墓穴中。

tā sǐ de shí hòu yī wén bù míng, , zàng zài yī chǔ wú míng mù xué。

He did die a pauper and is buried in an unmarked grave.
2
他指示马蒂尔达的遗体必须葬在家族墓穴里。

tā zhǐ shì mǎ dì ěr dá de yí tǐ bì xū zàng zài jiā zú mù xué lǐ。

He ordered that Matilda's body should be buried in the family vault.
3
出席葬礼的人大多都面无表情地静静站着。

chū xí zàng lǐ de rén dà duō dū miàn wú biǎo qíng dì jìng jìng zhàn zháo。

Most of those attending the funeral stood silently showing little emotion.
4
葬礼将在今天下午3点举行。

zàng lǐ jiāng zài jīn tiān xià wǔ3 3 diǎn jǔ。

The funeral will be carried out this afternoon at
5
伙计们,大声唱, 这是开庆祝会, 不是送葬!

huǒ jì mén, , dà shēng, chàng , zhè shì kāi qìng, zhù huì , bù!

Sing up , fellows, this is supposed to be a celebration, not a funeral!
6
他的葬礼将于星期四在布莱克本大教堂举行。

tā de zàng lǐ jiāng yú xīng qī sì zài bù lái kè běn dà jiào táng jǔ háng。

His funeral will be on Thursday at Blackburn Cathedral.
7
当然罗, 你知道,我只是为了参加葬礼才去租来戴的. ”

dāng rán luó, , nǐ zhī, dào , wǒ zhī shì wéi le cān jiā zàng lǐ cái qù zū lái.”

Of course it was only'ired for the occasion, you understand.'
8
数百人参加了葬礼。

shù bǎi rén cān jiā le zàng lǐ。

Hundreds of people attended the funeral.
9
数千人参加了葬礼。

shù qiān rén cān jiā le zàng lǐ。

Thousands of people attended the funeral.
10
船已葬身海底,无法打捞。

chuán yǐ zàng shēn hǎi dǐ, , wú fǎ dǎ。

The ship was buried, beyond retrieval, at the bottom of the sea.

Word Family of 葬

Compounds1
髒zang4organs, viscera; dirty, filthy
Words Containing This Character20
葬礼zànglǐburial葬禮
埋葬máizàngto bury
葬zàngto inter
安葬to bury (the dead)
墓葬tomb
殡葬funeral and interment殯葬
下葬to bury
葬送to give sb a final send-off
葬身to bury a corpse
陪葬péizàngto be buried with or next to dead person (of deceased's partner, or of funerary objects)
火葬to cremate
丧葬funeral喪葬
送葬to attend a burial
丧葬费funeral expenses喪葬費
火葬场crematorium火葬場
合葬joint interment
土葬burial (in earth)
死无葬身之地to die a pauper死無葬身之地
殉葬sacrificial grave goods
国葬state funeral國葬
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 髒 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 葬

No, it is primarily used in formal contexts related to funerals.

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