HanziGuru.仓 · cāng
仓
cāng[cang1]Tone 1

granary

HSK 6
View Traditional FormSwitch to Traditional
倉
Guru Deep Dive

English · granary

Cached lesson
1 / 1
Topology:Top-bottom
Strokes:5
Writing Balance Rule: Keep the top roof element wide and stable, sheltering the lower storage compartment cleanly.
Simplification Logic: Simplified from the traditional form 倉, streamlining the internal complex components while preserving the classic top roof structure.
1. Meaning

granary

barnstorehousecabinhold in ship
NounLiterary#agriculture#architecture#storage
Sample Usage
  • 粮仓
    liángcāng
    granary
  • 货仓
    huòcāng
    freight hold
2. Sound
/[tsʰɑŋ⁵⁵]/Tone: 55
仓
cāngcang1
++
¯(55)
=cāng
Initial Consonant
c
Type: Aspirated Dental Sibilant
Sounds like: ts aspirate sound
Aspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: Sharp burst of air through teeth! Tissue MUST flutter strongly.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Tongue tip behind lower front teeth, releasing a burst of air
Final Rhyme
ang
Vowel Group: -a vowel group
Sounds like: -ang rhymes with sung with a wide open 'a'
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'ahng'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T1 (55)
1st Tone (High-Flat)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 1 is a high, steady pitch, similar to a musical drone or shouting a sustained note.
👂
Listening trap: Confusing the unaspirated 'z' sound (zāng) with the strongly aspirated 'c' sound (cāng).
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: Keep your voice at a high, flat pitch, like singing a sustained high note on the top line of a musical staff.
3. Writing

Topology: Top-bottom · Strokes: 5 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: Keep the top roof element wide and stable, sheltering the lower storage compartment cleanly.

Simplification Logic: Simplified from the traditional form 倉, streamlining the internal complex components while preserving the classic top roof structure.

4. Components

Radical 人 · human/roof radical (roof or shelter structure)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 食 (food and provisions storage)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 仓 (original sound: cang)

A protective roof (人) covering a pit or structure containing harvested crops and grain.

  • 人 roof top shelter
  • 口 storage container or opening
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally depicted a raised wooden or thatched structure used for storing surplus grain to protect it from moisture and pests.

Semantic Evolution: Expanded from agricultural grain silos to general storage rooms, warehouses, and eventually shipping holds or cabins.

  • Ancient granaries were crucial for imperial statecraft and famine prevention.
  • The character has retained its core architectural storage concept for millennia.
6. Sinosphere
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

Imagine a big roof (人) protecting a deep container (口) packed to the brim with golden rice grain inside a secure barn (cāng).

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
抢
qiǎngto rob / to snatchAdd the hand radical (扌) to indicate snatching things away from the granary.
枪
qiānggun / spearAdd the metal radical (钅) to represent a metal weapon.
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
创(chuàng)
Has the knife radical (刂) on the right side instead of the storage base, meaning wound or to create.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
政府把今年丰收的粮食存放在国家粮[___]里。
Clue: cāng
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the initial consonant 'c' with 'zh' or 'q', or writing the top roof component incorrectly.

Memory Prompts
Recognition: What does 仓 mean and how is it pronounced with tone?
Production: How do you write the character for granary or storehouse (cāng)?
Real-World Video Context

Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.

Search theme
Accent preference

Results are live YouTube search — accents and levels aren't verified.

仓cānggranary
Speed:
Searching YouTube for native pronunciation videos...
0 / 0
Watch on YouTubeMore Results on YouTube