撐 meaning and stroke order
To support, to prop up, to brace; overflowing
How to write 撐, 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 撐
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to support
- to prop up
- to push or move with a pole
- to maintain
- to open or unfurl
- to fill to bursting point
How 撐 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
扌 gives the meaning and 牚 hints at the sound.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 撐
撐 is a hand 扌 next to 牚 (chēng), which gives the sound. Picture your hand pushing up to prop something in place, and the sound comes along from 牚.
撐 is about holding something up or keeping it going under pressure, and it also means opening an umbrella or being stuffed full after eating. It appears in words like 支撐 (zhīchēng) and 撐腰 (chēngyāo). Example: 我吃得太撐了。(Wǒ chī de tài chēng le.) I ate way too much.
Common mistake: Learners often write the right side as 掌 (zhǎng, palm) because the tops look alike. 牚 has 牙 at the bottom, not 手. Also keep the first tone: chēng, not chéng as in 成.
Common words with 撐
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Questions about 撐
How many strokes are in 撐?
撐 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 撐 mean?
撐 (chēng) means to support, to prop up, to brace; overflowing. A common word with it is 支撑 (zhīchēng), meaning "to prop up; to support".
How do you pronounce 撐?
撐 is pronounced chēng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 撐?
The radical of 撐 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 撐 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 撐?
撐 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 撑, used in mainland China and Singapore.
How do I say 'open an umbrella' with 撐?
Say 撐傘 (chēng sǎn). For example, 下雨了，撐傘吧 (xià yǔ le, chēng sǎn ba) means 'It's raining, open your umbrella.'
What does 撐不住 mean?
撐不住 (chēng bu zhù) means you can't hold on or keep going any longer, physically or emotionally. The opposite, 撐得住 (chēng de zhù), means you can still hang in there.