狀 meaning and stroke order
State, condition; shape, appearance, form; certificate
How to write 狀, stroke by stroke
8 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
- 8
Meaning of 狀
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 狀 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Dog.
犬 gives the meaning and 爿 hints at the sound.
Radical: 犬 (dog), shared by 14 characters on this site.
How to remember 狀
狀 combines 爿 (qiáng), which gives the sound, with 犬 (quǎn, dog), which gives the meaning. Picture a dog standing beside a wooden board, and you are describing its shape and condition.
狀 (zhuàng) is a bound form, so it appears inside words like 狀態 (zhuàngtài, state), 形狀 (xíngzhuàng, shape) and 症狀 (zhèngzhuàng, symptom). It is the traditional form, and mainland China writes it as 状. Example: 他的身體狀況很好。 (Tā de shēntǐ zhuàngkuàng hěn hǎo.) His health is in good condition.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 狀 (zhuàng) with 壯 (zhuàng, strong), because both have 爿 on the left and share the same sound. 狀 has 犬 (dog) on the right, while 壯 has 士.
Common words with 狀
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 狀況 | zhuàngkuàng | condition; state; situation | HSK 3 |
| 狀態 | zhuàngtài | condition; state; state of affairs | HSK 3 |
| 形狀 | xíngzhuàng | form; shape | HSK 3 |
| 現狀 | xiànzhuàng | current situation | HSK 5 |
| 症狀 | zhèngzhuàng | symptom (of an illness) | HSK 6 |
| 告狀 | gàozhuàng | to tell on sb; to complain (to a teacher, a superior etc); to bring a lawsuit | HSK 7-9 |
| 狀元 | zhuàngyuan | top scorer in the palace examination (highest rank of the Imperial examination system); se | HSK 7-9 |
| 精神狀態 | jīngshénzhuàngtài | mental state; psychological condition | |
| 恢復原狀 | huīfùyuánzhuàng | to restore sth to its original state | |
| 健康狀況 | jiànkāngzhuàngkuàng | health status | |
| 緊急狀態 | jǐnjízhuàngtài | state of emergency | |
| 罪狀 | zuìzhuàng | charges or facts about a crime; the nature of the offense | |
| 甲狀腺 | jiǎzhuàngxiàn | (anatomy) thyroid gland |
Questions about 狀
How many strokes are in 狀?
狀 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 狀 mean?
狀 (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 狀?
狀 is pronounced zhuàng, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 狀?
The radical of 狀 is 犬, which carries the idea of "dog". Dictionaries list 狀 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 狀?
狀 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 状, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 狀況 and 狀態?
狀況 (zhuàngkuàng) usually describes an overall situation, such as health, finances or traffic. 狀態 (zhuàngtài) focuses on the state something or someone is in at a moment, such as 精神狀態 (mental state) or a machine's working state.
Why does 告狀 mean to tell on someone?
狀 can mean a written complaint or lawsuit, so 告狀 (gàozhuàng) literally means to present a complaint. In daily life it is used when a child reports someone to a teacher or parent, as well as for filing a lawsuit.