胖 meaning and stroke order
Fat; plump
How to write 胖, stroke by stroke
9 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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- 9
Meaning of 胖
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- fat
- plump
- healthy
- at ease
How 胖 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Flesh.
⺼ gives the meaning and 半 hints at the sound.
Radical: ⺼ (meat), shared by 176 characters on this site.
How to remember 胖
胖 combines ⺼ (flesh) with 半 (bàn), which gives the sound. Picture a body with half (半) again as much flesh (⺼) as before, and you have someone who is plump.
胖 (pàng) describes people and animals, and it often appears in words like 发胖 (fāpàng) or 长胖 (zhǎngpàng) for gaining weight. For things like meat or food, Chinese uses 肥 (féi) instead. Example: 我最近胖了。 (Wǒ zuìjìn pàng le.) I have gained weight recently.
Common mistake: Learners often use 胖 for fatty meat, but 胖肉 is wrong. Say 肥肉 (féiròu). Also keep the fourth tone pàng and do not let 半 (bàn) pull you toward reading it as bàn.
Common words with 胖
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
胖 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 胖
How many strokes are in 胖?
胖 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 胖 mean?
胖 (pàng) means fat; plump. A common word with it is 胖子 (pàngzi), meaning "fat person; fatty".
How do you pronounce 胖?
胖 is pronounced pàng, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 胖?
The radical of 胖 is ⺼, which carries the idea of "meat". Dictionaries list 胖 under this radical.
Is 胖 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 胖 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 2.
Is it rude to call someone 胖 in Chinese?
It can be, especially with adults you do not know well, and 胖子 (pàngzi) can sound like a nickname or an insult. Gentler choices include 有点胖 (yǒudiǎn pàng, a bit chubby) or, for children, 胖乎乎 (pànghūhū, chubby and cute).
What does the reading pán mean?
In the rare reading pán, 胖 means healthy or at ease. It mainly appears in the classical phrase 心广体胖 (xīn guǎng tǐ pán), meaning a relaxed mind and a healthy body. In everyday speech, always read it pàng.