倡 meaning and stroke order
Guide, leader; lead, introduce
How to write 倡, stroke by stroke
10 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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- 10
Meaning of 倡
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to initiate
- to instigate
- to introduce
- to lead
How 倡 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Someone 亻 who lights the way 昌; 昌 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 亻 (man), shared by 277 characters on this site.
How to remember 倡
A person 亻 standing beside 昌 (chāng, bright, prosperous) is someone who lights the way for others. That person is the one who starts things and leads, so 倡 means to initiate or advocate.
倡 rarely appears alone in modern Chinese. It shows up in formal words like 提倡 (tíchàng), 倡导 (chàngdǎo) and 倡议 (chàngyì), often in news, speeches and official writing. Example: 学校提倡节约用水。(Xuéxiào tíchàng jiéyuē yòng shuǐ.) The school promotes saving water.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 倡 (chàng) with 唱 (chàng, to sing), since both use 昌 and sound the same. Remember that 唱 has the mouth radical 口 for singing, while 倡 has the person radical 亻 for someone who leads.
Common words with 倡
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
倡 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 倡
How many strokes are in 倡?
倡 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 倡 mean?
倡 (chàng) means guide, leader; lead, introduce. A common word with it is 提倡 (tíchàng), meaning "to promote; to advocate".
How do you pronounce 倡?
倡 is pronounced chàng, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 倡?
The radical of 倡 is 亻, which carries the idea of "man". Dictionaries list 倡 under this radical.
Is 倡 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 倡 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 提倡 and 倡导?
Both mean to advocate or promote. 提倡 (tíchàng) is more common in everyday formal speech, as in promoting a habit. 倡导 (chàngdǎo) sounds more official and suggests actively leading a movement or initiative.
Is 倡议 a noun or a verb?
It can be both. As a verb it means to propose or initiate, and as a noun it means a proposal or initiative, as in 发出倡议 (fāchū chàngyì), to issue a call for action.