躺 meaning and stroke order
To recline; to lie down
How to write 躺, 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 躺
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to recline
- to lie down
How 躺 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Body.
身 gives the meaning and 尚 hints at the sound.
Radical: 身 (body), shared by 7 characters on this site.
How to remember 躺
On the left is 身 (shēn), the body, and on the right is 尚 (shàng), which gives the sound. Picture your whole body stretched out flat, and let 尚 remind you of the "ang" sound in tǎng.
躺 (tǎng) means to lie down flat, usually to rest or sleep. It often appears with 在 to say where someone is lying, or with 下 to describe the action of lying down. Example: 我想躺一会儿。(Wǒ xiǎng tǎng yíhuìr.) I want to lie down for a bit.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 躺 (tǎng) with 趟 (tàng), a measure word for trips. They share the same right side 尚, but 趟 has 走 (walk) and is fourth tone. Another trap is using 睡 (shuì, to sleep) when you only mean lying down. 躺 does not mean you are asleep.
躺 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 躺
How many strokes are in 躺?
躺 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 躺 mean?
躺 (tǎng) means to recline; to lie down.
How do you pronounce 躺?
躺 is pronounced tǎng, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 躺?
The radical of 躺 is 身, which carries the idea of "body". Dictionaries list 躺 under this radical.
Is 躺 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 躺 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 躺 and 睡 in Chinese?
躺 (tǎng) describes the body position of lying flat. 睡 (shuì) means to sleep. You can 躺在床上 (lie on the bed) without falling asleep.
What does 躺平 mean?
躺平 (tǎng píng) literally means to lie flat. It is popular slang for choosing to stop working so hard and do only the minimum, rejecting pressure to compete.