壯 meaning and stroke order
Big, large; robust, strong; the name of a tribe
How to write 壯, stroke by stroke
7 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
- 7
Meaning of 壯
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to strengthen
- strong
- robust
How 壯 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Soldier.
士 gives the meaning and 爿 hints at the sound.
Radical: 士 (scholar), shared by 11 characters on this site.
How to remember 壯
壯 combines 士 (shì, soldier) on the right with 爿 (qiáng) on the left, which gives the sound. Picture a strong soldier 士 standing tall beside a sturdy wall to remember "robust, strong."
壯 (simplified 壮) describes physical strength and also grand, impressive things, as in 壮观 (zhuàngguān, spectacular) and 壮丽 (zhuànglì, magnificent). It also works as a verb meaning to strengthen, as in 壮胆 (zhuàngdǎn, to boost one's courage). Example: 他长得很强壮。(Tā zhǎng de hěn qiángzhuàng.) He has grown up very strong.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 壮 with 状 (zhuàng, shape or condition), which sounds identical but has 犬 instead of 士. Remember that the strong one has the soldier 士, while 状 appears in words like 状态 (zhuàngtài, state).
Common words with 壯
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 強壯 | qiángzhuàng | strong; sturdy | HSK 6 |
| 壯觀 | zhuàngguān | spectacular; magnificent sight | HSK 6 |
| 壯大 | zhuàngdà | to strengthen; to build up; to grow strong and large | HSK 7-9 |
| 健壯 | jiànzhuàng | robust; healthy | HSK 7-9 |
| 壯麗 | zhuànglì | magnificence; magnificent | HSK 7-9 |
| 壯膽 | zhuàngdǎn | to get one’s courage up; to embolden | HSK 7-9 |
| 壯實 | zhuàngshi | robust; sturdy | HSK 7-9 |
| 理直氣壯 | lǐzhí-qìzhuàng | in the right and self-confident (idiom); bold and confident with justice on one's side; to | HSK 7-9 |
| 壯舉 | zhuàngjǔ | magnificent feat; impressive feat |
Characters that contain 壯
Learning 壯 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 壯
How many strokes are in 壯?
壯 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 壯 mean?
壯 (zhuàng) means big, large; robust, strong; the name of a tribe. A common word with it is 强壮 (qiángzhuàng), meaning "strong; sturdy".
How do you pronounce 壯?
壯 is pronounced zhuàng, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 壯?
The radical of 壯 is 士, which carries the idea of "scholar". Dictionaries list 壯 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 壯?
壯 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 壮, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What does 理直气壮 mean and when is it used?
理直气壮 (lǐzhí-qìzhuàng) means acting boldly and confidently because you know you are in the right. It is often used to describe someone speaking up firmly, and sometimes ironically for someone who is overconfident.
How is 壮 related to the Zhuang people?
壮 is also the name of the Zhuang ethnic group, 壮族 (Zhuàngzú), one of China's largest minority groups. It is mainly associated with Guangxi, whose full name includes 壮族自治区.