薑 meaning and stroke order
Ginger
How to write 薑, stroke by stroke
17 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 薑
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- ginger
How 薑 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Herb.
艹 gives the meaning and 畺 hints at the sound.
Radical: 艹 (grass), shared by 421 characters on this site.
How to remember 薑
The grass radical 艹 on top tells you this is a plant or herb, and 畺 (jiāng) underneath gives the sound. Picture a knobby herb root growing in neat fields, which is what 畺 looks like with its stacked field shapes.
薑 is the traditional form used in Taiwan and Hong Kong, while mainland China writes 姜 (jiāng) for ginger. It appears in cooking words like 薑汁 (jiāngzhī, ginger juice) and 生薑 (shēngjiāng, fresh ginger). Example: 湯裡放一點薑。 (Tāng lǐ fàng yìdiǎn jiāng.) Put a little ginger in the soup.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 薑 with 疆 (jiāng, border), which shares the 畺 part but adds 弓 and 土 on the left. Remember that the ginger one has 艹 on top because it is a plant.
Common words with 薑
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 薑汁 | jiāngzhī | ginger ale |
Questions about 薑
How many strokes are in 薑?
薑 is written with 17 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 薑 mean?
薑 (jiāng) means ginger. A common word with it is 姜汁 (jiāngzhī), meaning "ginger ale".
How do you pronounce 薑?
薑 is pronounced jiāng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 薑?
The radical of 薑 is 艹, which carries the idea of "grass". Dictionaries list 薑 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 薑?
薑 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 姜, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 姜 the same character as 薑?
In simplified Chinese, 姜 is used for ginger, so 薑 becomes 姜. But 姜 is also an old surname (as in 姜太公), and in traditional writing the surname stays 姜 while ginger is written 薑.
What does the saying 薑是老的辣 mean?
It literally means old ginger is spicier. People use it to say that experienced, older people are sharper or more capable than younger ones.