场 (cháng) - Meaning, Stroke Order & Audio

场

cháng[chang2]Tone 2

field, place, stage

HSK 1

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場

Multiple Readings (多音字):

Guru Deep Dive

English · field, place, stage

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Topology:Left-right

Strokes:7

Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (土) should be compact and slightly narrower, leaving ample space for the right phonetic component (昜) to expand gracefully.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 場 uses the complex phonetic component 昜, which is retained in the simplified form 场.

1. Meaning

place or field for a particular activity

threshing floorclassifier for sports, matches, or occurrences

noun / classifierNeutral#locations#events#sports

Sample Usage

操场
cāochǎng
sports ground, playground
一场雨
yī cháng yǔ
a spell of rain

2. Sound

/[t͡ʂʰɑŋ³⁵]/Tone: 35

场

chángchang2

´(35)

=cháng

Initial Consonant

Type: Aspirated Retroflex

Sounds like: ch retroflex sound

AspiratedRetroflex

Airflow Tactile Test: Both curled tongue AND explosive puff of air! Tissue MUST fly.

Tongue & Mouth Position: Tongue tip curled back near hard palate

Final Rhyme

ang

Vowel Group: -a vowel group

Sounds like: -ang rhymes with 'ahng'

Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'ahng'.

Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.

Tone

T2 (35)

3 → 5 (35)

2nd Tone (Mid-Rising)

Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 2 rises from middle to high pitch, exactly like asking a question in English such as 'What?' or 'Really?'

👂

Listening trap: Confusing the retroflex initial 'ch-' with the alveolar affricate 'c-' (ts-). Ensure your tongue curls back.

👋

Physical Tone Gesture: A rising hand sweep starting mid-chest and moving up to the ear, matching the upward pitch contour of Tone 2.

3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 7 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (土) should be compact and slightly narrower, leaving ample space for the right phonetic component (昜) to expand gracefully.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 場 uses the complex phonetic component 昜, which is retained in the simplified form 场.

4. Components

Radical 土 · Earth Radical (earth, ground, soil)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 土 (Indicates ground or land)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 昜 (original sound: yáng / cháng)

Earth (土) combined with bright/shining sunlight (昜) creates an open, sunlit flat ground or field (场).

土 earth or ground
昜 phonetic clue providing the sound

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

21· Phonetic Root: 昜 (yáng)

5. History

Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally referred to a cleared plot of earth used for threshing grain under the sun, combining earth (土) with a sun/light element (昜).

Semantic Evolution: Expanded from a literal farming threshing floor to mean any designated open space, sports venue, or event stage.

Ancient farming communities relied heavily on flat earth areas to dry and thresh harvested crops.

6. Sinosphere

7. Memory

Vivid Mnemonic Story

Out on the open earth (土), the sun shines brightly over the sports field (场) where everyone gathers for the match.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

汤

tāngsoupReplaced earth (土) with water (氵) because soup is liquid.

扬

yángto raise, scatterReplaced earth (土) with hand (扌) for action.

Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)

厂(chǎng)

厂 means factory and lacks the internal sun/light and earth radical structure of 场.

8. Mastery

Active Recall Challenge

孩子们在学校的操[___]上踢足球。

Clue: chǎng

Common Learner Pitfall

Forgetting to curl the tongue for the retroflex initial 'ch-', mispronouncing it as 'c' (ts).

Memory Prompts

Recognition: What does 场 mean when used as a classifier in phrases like 一场雨?

Production: How do you write the character for 'field' or 'place' that contains the earth radical (土)?

场chángfield, place, stage

Speed:

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