HanziGuru.奖 · jiǎng
奖
jiǎng[jiang3]Tone 3

prize, award, reward, to praise

HSK 4
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Guru Deep Dive

English · prize, award, reward, to praise

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Topology:Left-right
Strokes:9
Writing Balance Rule: The left component (夕) takes up about one-third of the width, while the right component (将) dominates the remaining two-thirds, keeping horizontal lines balanced and parallel.
Simplification Logic: The traditional character 獎 was simplified to 奖 by replacing the complex upper-left phonetic structure with a simpler simplified component (夕), reducing total strokes and standardizing handwriting.
1. Meaning

prize, award, or reward

to encourageto commendto praisebonus
Noun / VerbNeutral#achievement#awards#recognition#finance
Sample Usage
  • 他获得了比赛的最高奖。
    tā huòdé le bǐsài de zuìgāo jiǎng.
    He won the highest prize in the competition.
  • 老师表扬并奖赏了勤奋的学生。
    lǎoshī biǎoyáng bìng jiǎngshǎng le qínfèn de xuéshēng.
    The teacher commended and rewarded the diligent student.
2. Sound
/[t͡ɕi̯ɑŋ²¹⁴]/Tone: 214
奖
jiǎngjiang3
++
ˇ(214)
=jiǎng
Initial Consonant
j
Type: Unaspirated Alveolo-Palatal
Sounds like: j in jeep
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: No air puff. Lips spread wide like smiling.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Blade of the tongue touches the hard palate, teeth close together, air releases gently without a strong puff.
Final Rhyme
iang
Vowel Group: -a vowel group
Sounds like: ee-ahng sound
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'yahng'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T3 (214)
3rd Tone (Low-Dipping)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 3 starts mid-low, dips sharply down to the bottom of your vocal range, and rises back up, similar to asking 'Really?' in disbelief.
Sandhi: When followed by another 3rd tone syllable, jiǎng changes to a 2nd tone (35).
👂
Listening trap: Do not confuse the nasal ending '-ang' with the front nasal ending '-an' (jiǎn). Ensure the back of your tongue rises towards the soft palate for the 'ng' sound.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: Trace a checkmark in the air: dip down from your natural speaking pitch, then sweep up high, mirroring Tone 3.
3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 9 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left component (夕) takes up about one-third of the width, while the right component (将) dominates the remaining two-thirds, keeping horizontal lines balanced and parallel.

Simplification Logic: The traditional character 獎 was simplified to 奖 by replacing the complex upper-left phonetic structure with a simpler simplified component (夕), reducing total strokes and standardizing handwriting.

4. Components

Radical 大 · Big / Great Radical (big, large, great)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 夕 (Evening / signifier)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 将 (original sound: jiāng)

Composed of the phonetic component 将 (jiāng) on the right and the radical elements on the left, combining sound cues with the idea of a grand recognition.

  • 夕 evening / structural element
  • 将 phonetic clue providing the jiāng sound
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally a phono-semantic compound where 将 provided the sound and associated meanings of command or advancement, which over time evolved to specifically mean prizes, awards, and encouragement.

Semantic Evolution: From general promotion or commendation in ancient official contexts to modern everyday meanings of prizes, awards, and cash bonuses.

  • In traditional official contexts, imperial rewards and commendations were denoted using this character root.
6. Sinosphere
🇻🇳
Sino-Vietnamese
tưởng
The rising/glottal tone in Sino-Vietnamese corresponds closely to Mandarin Tone 3.
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: ショウ / Kun: ほめる
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
장
Sound Shift Bridge: The historical sound shared across Sinosphere languages preserves the initial 'j/sh/t' and nasal ending rhyme.
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

To win a grand PRIZE (jiǎng) at the evening (夕) ceremony, the general (将) had to work hard all day.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
将
jiānggeneral, going toBase phonetic component without the left element.
浆
jiāngsoup, starchReplaces the left part with water (氵) for liquid.
酱
jiàngsauceAdds the town/village element (酉) at the bottom.
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
降(jiàng)
Has the mound radical (阝) instead of 夕, meaning to descend or fall.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
他在这次科技大赛中获得了一等[___]。
Clue: jiǎng
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the tone contour (using 4th tone instead of 3rd tone) or mixing up lookalike components on the left side.

Memory Prompts
Recognition: What does 奖 mean and how is it pronounced in Tone 3?
Production: How do you write the character for 'prize/award' (jiǎng)?
Real-World Video Context

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

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