膛 meaning and stroke order
Chest cavity; hollow space
How to write 膛, 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 膛
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) hollow space
How 膛 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A hall 堂 in one's chest ⺼; 堂 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: ⺼ (meat), shared by 176 characters on this site.
How to remember 膛
The flesh radical ⺼ on the left plus 堂 (táng, hall) on the right: picture a big open hall inside your body, your chest cavity. 堂 also gives the sound, so 膛 is read táng just like 堂.
膛 is a bound form, so it almost always appears inside words like 胸膛 (xiōngtáng, chest), 枪膛 (qiāngtáng, gun bore) and 炉膛 (lútáng, inside of a stove). It describes a hollow space inside something, either a body or an object. Example: 他挺起胸膛。(Tā tǐngqǐ xiōngtáng.) He puffed out his chest.
Common mistake: Learners often write 堂 alone when they mean 膛, for example writing 胸堂 instead of 胸膛. Remember that body and cavity words need the flesh radical ⺼ on the left.
Common words with 膛
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 胸膛 | xiōngtáng | chest | HSK 7-9 |
| 上膛 | shàngtáng | roof of the mouth; to load a gun | |
| 枪膛 | qiāngtáng | bore of a gun |
Questions about 膛
How many strokes are in 膛?
膛 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 膛 mean?
膛 (táng) means chest cavity; hollow space. A common word with it is 胸膛 (xiōngtáng), meaning "chest".
How do you pronounce 膛?
膛 is pronounced táng, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 膛?
The radical of 膛 is ⺼, which carries the idea of "meat". Dictionaries list 膛 under this radical.
Is 膛 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 膛 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 胸膛 and 胸口?
胸膛 (xiōngtáng) means the whole chest, often used when describing posture or strength, as in 挺起胸膛. 胸口 (xiōngkǒu) refers to the pit of the chest, the spot where you might feel pain or pressure.
Why does 上膛 mean both roof of the mouth and loading a gun?
Both meanings come from 膛 as a hollow space. The roof of the mouth is the upper part of the mouth cavity, and loading a gun means putting a round up into the chamber, the gun's inner space. Context makes the meaning clear, as in 子弹上膛 (zǐdàn shàngtáng, the bullet is chambered).