Meaning of 延长
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to prolong
- to extend
- to delay
- see 延長縣|延长县[Yan2 chang2 Xian4]
How to use 延长
延长 is used for making time, deadlines, or physical length longer, such as a contract, a visit, or a road. It is common in formal and everyday speech. Example: 我们把会议延长了一个小时。(Wǒmen bǎ huìyì yáncháng le yí ge xiǎoshí.) We extended the meeting by one hour.
延 (yán) means to stretch out or draw out, and 长 (cháng) means long. Stretch something out until it becomes longer, and you have 延长 (yáncháng), to extend.
Common mistake: Learners often read 长 here as zhǎng, as in 长大 (zhǎngdà) or 校长 (xiàozhǎng), but in 延长 it is cháng, meaning long. Also, do not confuse 延 with 廷 (tíng); 延 has an extra stroke at the top-left.
延长 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
延 yán · to prolong · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
长 cháng · long · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Related words
Words that share a character with 延长.
| 长大 | zhǎngdà | to grow up |
| 队长 | duìzhǎng | captain; team leader |
| 市长 | shìzhǎng | mayor |
| 校长 | xiàozhǎng | (college, university) president; headmaster |
| 家长 | jiāzhǎng | head of a household; family head |
| 院长 | yuànzhǎng | the head of an institution whose name ends in 院[yuan4]; chair of a board; university presi |
| 组长 | zǔzhǎng | group leader |
| 班长 | bānzhǎng | class monitor; squad leader |
| 部长 | bùzhǎng | head of a (government etc) department; section chief |
| 成长 | chéngzhǎng | to mature; to grow |
| 长期 | chángqī | long-term; for a protracted period |
| 生长 | shēngzhǎng | to grow; to grow up |
Questions about 延长
What does 延长 mean?
延长 (yáncháng) means "to prolong; to extend" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 延长?
延长 is made of 2 characters: 延 (6 strokes), 长 (4 strokes). That is 10 strokes in total.
Is 延长 an HSK word?
Yes. 延长 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 延长 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 延长 is written 延長.
What is the difference between 延长 and 推迟?
延长 (yáncháng) makes a period of time last longer, like extending a deadline or a stay. 推迟 (tuīchí) moves an event to a later time without necessarily making it longer, like postponing a meeting.
Can 延长 be used for physical length, not just time?
Yes. You can say 延长这条路 (yáncháng zhè tiáo lù), to extend this road, or 延长线 (yánchángxiàn), an extension line. Capitalized, 延长 is also a place name, 延长县 (Yánchǎng Xiàn), a county in Shaanxi.