囊 meaning and stroke order
Bag, purse, sack; to pocket, to stow
How to write 囊, stroke by stroke
22 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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Meaning of 囊
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- sack
- purse
- pocket (for money)
- used in 囊膪[nang1 chuai4] and 囊揣[nang1 chuai4]
- used in 鼓鼓囊囊[gu3 gu5 nang1 nang1]
How 囊 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Gate.
口 gives the meaning and 襄 hints at the sound.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 囊
囊 is built from 口 (kǒu, mouth or opening) as the meaning part and 襄 (xiāng) as the sound part. Picture a bag with an opening 口 tied up at the top, stuffed full with the crowded strokes of 襄 inside.
囊 (náng) means a bag or sack and appears mostly in compound words rather than alone. You will see it in 胶囊 (jiāonáng, capsule), 气囊 (qìnáng, air bag), and 智囊团 (zhìnángtuán, think tank). Example: 这种药是胶囊。(Zhè zhǒng yào shì jiāonáng.) This medicine comes in capsules.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 囊 with 襄 (xiāng) or 壤 (rǎng, soil) because they share the same dense middle part. Also note that in 窝囊 (wōnang) the character loses its tone and is read in the neutral tone.
Common words with 囊
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
囊 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 囊
Learning 囊 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 囊
How many strokes are in 囊?
囊 is written with 22 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 囊 mean?
囊 (náng) means bag, purse, sack; to pocket, to stow. A common word with it is 胶囊 (jiāonáng), meaning "(pharm.) capsule".
How do you pronounce 囊?
囊 is pronounced náng, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 囊?
The radical of 囊 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 囊 under this radical.
Is 囊 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 囊 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 窝囊 mean and is it rude?
窝囊 (wōnang) describes feeling wronged and frustrated, or being weak and useless. 窝囊废 (wōnangfèi) calls someone a spineless wimp, so it is an insult and should be used carefully.
When is 囊 pronounced nāng instead of náng?
It is read nāng in a few words, such as 囊膪 (nāngchuài, flabby belly meat) and the reduplicated 鼓鼓囊囊 (gǔgunāngnāng, bulging and stuffed full). In most other words it is náng.