场 meaning and stroke order
Large place used for a specific purpose; stage; scene (of a play)
How to write 场, stroke by stroke
6 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
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- 4
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- 6
Meaning of 场
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- large place used for a specific purpose
- stage
- scene (of a play)
- classifier for sporting or recreational activities
- classifier for number of exams
- variant of 場|场[chang3]
- threshing floor
- classifier for events and happenings: spell, episode, bout
- variant of 場|场[chang2]
How 场 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Earth.
土 gives the meaning and 昜 hints at the sound.
Radical: 土 (soil), shared by 183 characters on this site.
How to remember 场
The left side is 土 (earth), showing a piece of ground. The right side comes from the sound part 昜 (simplified here to look like 勿), so picture an open patch of earth set aside for a purpose, like a field or a market.
场 (chǎng) appears in many words for places with a set function, such as 机场 (jīchǎng, airport), 商场 (shāngchǎng, mall) and 停车场 (tíngchēchǎng, parking lot). It is also a measure word for games, shows, exams and events. Example: 我们去看一场电影。(Wǒmen qù kàn yì chǎng diànyǐng.) We are going to see a movie.
Common mistake: Learners often write the right side as 汤 without the water radical, or add an extra stroke to 勿. The right part of 场 has no dot on top, unlike 杨 or 汤 which share a similar shape.
Common words with 场
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 机场 | jīchǎng | airport; airfield; (slang) service provider for Shadowsocks or similar software for circum | HSK 1 |
| 商场 | shāngchǎng | shopping mall; shopping center | HSK 1 |
| 广场 | guǎngchǎng | public square; plaza | HSK 2 |
| 停车场 | tíngchēchǎng | parking lot; car park | HSK 2 |
| 球场 | qiúchǎng | stadium; sports ground | HSK 2 |
| 体育场 | tǐyùchǎng | stadium | HSK 2 |
| 现场 | xiànchǎng | the scene (of a crime, accident etc); (on) the spot | HSK 3 |
| 市场 | shìchǎng | marketplace; market; bazaar; (economics) market | HSK 3 |
| 场合 | chǎnghé | occasion; situation; context; setting; venue | HSK 3 |
| 场所 | chǎngsuǒ | location; place | HSK 3 |
| 剧场 | jùchǎng | theater | HSK 3 |
| 全场 | quánchǎng | everyone present; the whole audience | HSK 3 |
| 操场 | cāochǎng | playground; sports field | HSK 4 |
| 在场 | zàichǎng | to be present; to be on the scene | HSK 5 |
场 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 场
How many strokes are in 场?
场 is written with 6 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 场 mean?
场 (chǎng) means large place used for a specific purpose; stage; scene (of a play). A common word with it is 机场 (jīchǎng), meaning "airport; airfield; (slang) service provider for Shadowsocks or similar software for circum".
How do you pronounce 场?
场 is pronounced chǎng, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 场?
The radical of 场 is 土, which carries the idea of "soil". Dictionaries list 场 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 场?
The traditional form of 场 is 場 and 塲. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 场 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 场 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 场 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
When is 场 pronounced cháng instead of chǎng?
Cháng is used for a threshing floor and as a measure word for events or episodes like a spell of rain or an illness, as in 一场大雨 (yì cháng dà yǔ, a heavy downpour). Many speakers use chǎng in these cases too, so both are heard in everyday speech.
What is the difference between 场 and 次 as measure words?
次 (cì) simply counts how many times something happens. 场 counts a whole event with a beginning and end, such as a match, a performance or an exam, as in 一场比赛 (yì chǎng bǐsài, one match).