贈 meaning and stroke order
To bestow, to confer, to present a gift
How to write 贈, stroke by stroke
19 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 贈
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to give as a present
- to repel
- to bestow an honorary title after death (old)
How 贈 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Money.
貝 gives the meaning and 曾 hints at the sound.
Radical: 貝 (sea shell), shared by 62 characters on this site.
How to remember 贈
贈 combines 貝 (shell, an old symbol of money and valuables) with 曾 (céng/zēng), which gives the sound. Picture handing someone a valuable shell as a present, and the zēng sound points you to zèng.
贈 (simplified 赠) is a fairly formal word for giving something as a gift, and it usually appears in compounds like 赠送 (zèngsòng) and 捐赠 (juānzèng) rather than alone. You often see 赠品 (zèngpǐn) on shop signs for free items. Example: 买一送一，还有赠品。(Mǎi yī sòng yī, hái yǒu zèngpǐn.) Buy one get one free, plus a complimentary gift.
Common mistake: Learners often read 贈 as céng because of the phonetic 曾, but the correct reading is zèng with a fourth tone. Also do not confuse it with 增 (zēng, to increase), which has 土 on the left instead of 貝.
Common words with 贈
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Questions about 贈
How many strokes are in 贈?
贈 is written with 19 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 贈 mean?
贈 (zèng) means to bestow, to confer, to present a gift. A common word with it is 赠送 (zèngsòng), meaning "to present as a gift".
How do you pronounce 贈?
贈 is pronounced zèng, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 贈?
The radical of 贈 is 貝, which carries the idea of "sea shell". Dictionaries list 贈 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 贈?
贈 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 赠, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 赠 (zèng) and 送 (sòng)?
送 is the everyday word for giving a gift or seeing someone off. 赠 is more formal and written, and it is used in phrases like 赠书 (giving a book) or on official gifts and donations.
Can 赠 be used for an honorary title?
Yes, in older Chinese 赠 could mean to confer an honorary title on someone after death. This sense is rare today and mostly appears in historical texts.