壮 meaning and stroke order
To strengthen; strong; robust
How to write 壮, 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
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Meaning of 壮
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to strengthen
- strong
- robust
How 壮 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Soldier.
士 gives the meaning and 丬 hints at the sound.
Radical: 士 (scholar), shared by 11 characters on this site.
How to remember 壮
壮 combines 丬, which gives the sound, with 士 (shì), a soldier. Picture a soldier standing beside a sturdy post, strong and robust.
壮 describes physical strength or something grand and impressive, and it appears mostly in compounds like 强壮 (qiángzhuàng) and 壮观 (zhuàngguān). It can also mean to strengthen, as in 壮胆 (zhuàngdǎn), to work up courage. Example: 他长得很壮。(Tā zhǎng de hěn zhuàng.) He is very sturdily built.
Common mistake: Learners often write 土 (tǔ, earth) instead of 士 (shì) on the right. In 士 the top horizontal stroke is longer than the bottom one. Also, do not confuse 壮 with 状 (zhuàng, shape or condition). They sound the same, but 状 has 犬 on the right.
Common words with 壮
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 强壮 | qiángzhuàng | strong; sturdy | HSK 6 |
| 壮观 | zhuàngguān | spectacular; magnificent sight | HSK 6 |
| 壮大 | zhuàngdà | to strengthen; to build up; to grow strong and large | HSK 7-9 |
| 健壮 | jiànzhuàng | robust; healthy | HSK 7-9 |
| 壮丽 | zhuànglì | magnificence; magnificent | HSK 7-9 |
| 壮胆 | zhuàngdǎn | to get one’s courage up; to embolden | HSK 7-9 |
| 壮实 | zhuàngshi | robust; sturdy | HSK 7-9 |
| 理直气壮 | lǐzhí-qìzhuàng | in the right and self-confident (idiom); bold and confident with justice on one's side; to | HSK 7-9 |
| 壮举 | zhuàngjǔ | magnificent feat; impressive feat |
壮 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 壮
Learning 壮 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 壮
How many strokes are in 壮?
壮 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 壮 mean?
壮 (zhuàng) means to strengthen; strong; robust. A common word with it is 强壮 (qiángzhuàng), meaning "strong; sturdy".
How do you pronounce 壮?
壮 is pronounced zhuàng, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 壮?
The radical of 壮 is 士, which carries the idea of "scholar". Dictionaries list 壮 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 壮?
The traditional form of 壮 is 壯. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 壮 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 壮 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 壮 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is 壮 a compliment when describing a person?
Usually yes for men and children, since it suggests healthy and strong. For women it can sound like a polite way of saying heavy, so 健康 (jiànkāng) or 结实 (jiēshi) may be safer choices.
What does 壮 mean in 壮族?
壮族 (Zhuàngzú) is the Zhuang ethnic group, the largest minority group in China. Most Zhuang people live in Guangxi. In this name, 壮 is a proper name and does not mean strong.