幢 meaning and stroke order
Classifier for buildings (Taiwan pr. [chuang2]); (archaic) curtain hung over boat or carriage windows
How to write 幢, stroke by stroke
15 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 幢
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- classifier for buildings (Taiwan pr. [chuang2])
- (archaic) curtain hung over boat or carriage windows
- banner; pennant (in ancient China)
How 幢 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Curtain.
巾 gives the meaning and 童 hints at the sound.
Radical: 巾 (cloth), shared by 53 characters on this site.
How to remember 幢
幢 combines 巾 (cloth) with 童 (tóng), which hints at the sound. Picture a cloth curtain or banner hanging down, and remember that the 童 side gives the ong sound in zhuàng and chuáng.
Today 幢 is mostly used as zhuàng, a measure word for whole buildings, especially in written or formal Chinese. Example: 一幢大楼 (yí zhuàng dàlóu) means a tall building. The chuáng reading appears in historical words for banners, such as 经幢 (jīngchuáng), a stone pillar carved with Buddhist scripture.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 幢 with 撞 (zhuàng, to bump into) or 憧 (chōng, as in 憧憬). They share the 童 part, but only 幢 has the cloth radical 巾 on the left. Also, do not read it as tóng just because of 童.
幢 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 幢
How many strokes are in 幢?
幢 is written with 15 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 幢 mean?
幢 (zhuàng) means classifier for buildings (Taiwan pr. [chuang2]); (archaic) curtain hung over boat or carriage windows.
How do you pronounce 幢?
幢 has more than one reading: zhuàng and chuáng. The most common is zhuàng, said in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 幢?
The radical of 幢 is 巾, which carries the idea of "cloth". Dictionaries list 幢 under this radical.
Is 幢 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 幢 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 幢 and 栋 as measure words for buildings?
Both mean a whole building and are often interchangeable, as in 一栋楼 or 一幢楼. 栋 (dòng) is more common in everyday speech in mainland China, while 幢 sounds a bit more literary.
Should I say zhuàng or chuáng for the building measure word?
In mainland Mandarin the measure word is read zhuàng. In Taiwan it is commonly pronounced chuáng, so you may hear both.