状 meaning and stroke order
State, condition; shape, appearance, form; certificate
How to write 状, 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 状
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) form; appearance; shape
- (bound form) state; condition
- (bound form) to describe
- (bound form) written complaint; lawsuit
- (bound form) certificate
How 状 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Dog.
犬 gives the meaning and 丬 hints at the sound.
Radical: 犬 (dog), shared by 14 characters on this site.
How to remember 状
状 is a sound-meaning character: 丬 on the left gives the sound, and 犬 (quǎn, dog) on the right gives the meaning. Picture a dog showing its shape and state, standing proud or curled up tired, and you have 状 for shape and condition.
状 is a bound form, so it almost always appears inside words like 状态 (zhuàngtài, state), 形状 (xíngzhuàng, shape) and 症状 (zhèngzhuàng, symptom). Example: 他最近的状态很好。(Tā zuìjìn de zhuàngtài hěn hǎo.) He has been in good shape lately.
Common mistake: Learners often write the right side as 大 and forget the dot of 犬, or mix up 状 with 壮 (zhuàng, strong), which has the same sound but uses 士 on the right. Remember that 壮 means sturdy, while 状 means state or shape.
Common words with 状
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 状况 | zhuàngkuàng | condition; state; situation | HSK 3 |
| 状态 | zhuàngtài | condition; state; state of affairs | HSK 3 |
| 形状 | xíngzhuàng | form; shape | HSK 3 |
| 现状 | xiànzhuàng | current situation | HSK 5 |
| 症状 | zhèngzhuàng | symptom (of an illness) | HSK 6 |
| 告状 | gàozhuàng | to tell on sb; to complain (to a teacher, a superior etc); to bring a lawsuit | HSK 7-9 |
| 状元 | zhuàngyuan | top scorer in the palace examination (highest rank of the Imperial examination system); se | HSK 7-9 |
| 精神状态 | jīngshénzhuàngtài | mental state; psychological condition | |
| 恢复原状 | huīfùyuánzhuàng | to restore sth to its original state | |
| 健康状况 | jiànkāngzhuàngkuàng | health status | |
| 紧急状态 | jǐnjízhuàngtài | state of emergency | |
| 罪状 | zuìzhuàng | charges or facts about a crime; the nature of the offense | |
| 甲状腺 | jiǎzhuàngxiàn | (anatomy) thyroid gland |
状 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 状
How many strokes are in 状?
状 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 状 mean?
状 (zhuàng) means state, condition; shape, appearance, form; certificate. A common word with it is 状况 (zhuàngkuàng), meaning "condition; state; situation".
How do you pronounce 状?
状 is pronounced zhuàng, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 状?
The radical of 状 is 犬, which carries the idea of "dog". Dictionaries list 状 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 状?
The traditional form of 状 is 狀. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 状 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 状 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 状 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 状况 and 状态?
状况 (zhuàngkuàng) usually describes an overall situation, like a company's finances or traffic conditions. 状态 (zhuàngtài) leans toward the condition of a person or thing at a moment, such as mood, health or working state.
Why does 告状 mean to tell on someone?
状 can mean a written complaint, so 告状 (gàozhuàng) originally meant to file a complaint or lawsuit. In everyday speech it now often means telling a teacher or parent about someone's bad behavior, as in 他向老师告状 (tā xiàng lǎoshī gàozhuàng).