徵 (zhēng) - Meaning, Stroke Order & Audio

徵

zhēng[zheng1]Tone 1

to invite, recruit, levy, or symptom/phenomenon

HSK 4

View Simplified FormSwitch to Simplified

征

Multiple Readings (多音字):

Guru Deep Dive

English · to invite, recruit, levy, or symptom/phenomenon

Cached lesson

1 / 1

Topology:Left-right

Strokes:8

Writing Balance Rule: The left side (彳) takes up about one-third of the width, leaving the right side (征) to balance the remaining two-thirds with stable horizontal lines.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 徵 was simplified to 征 by streamlining the intricate inner elements into simpler components while retaining the core phonetic and radical structure.

1. Meaning

to levy, recruit, or draft

to invitesymptomphenomenonevidence

Verb / NounFormal / Literary#government#action#medical

Sample Usage

政府决定征收新税。
zhèngfǔ juédìng zhēngshōu xīn shuì.
The government decided to levy a new tax.
这是感冒的初期症状。
zhè shì gǎnmào de chūqī zhèngzhuàng.
This is the early symptom of a cold.

2. Sound

/[tʂəŋ⁵⁵]/Tone: 55

徵

zhēngzheng1

¯(55)

=zhēng

Initial Consonant

Type: Unaspirated Retroflex

Sounds like: j/dr retroflex sound

UnaspiratedRetroflex

Airflow Tactile Test: No burst of air. Tongue curled up. Tissue stays still.

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

Final Rhyme

eng

Vowel Group: -e vowel group

Sounds like: -eng rhymes with rung

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

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

Tone

T1 (55)

5 → 5 (55)

1st Tone (High-Flat)

Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 1 is a high, sustained musical note, similar to shouting a single musical pitch at the top of your normal speaking range.

👂

Listening trap: Confusing the retroflex initial 'zh-' with the alveolar affricate 'j-' or retroflex 'ch-'.

👋

Physical Tone Gesture: Keep your hand flat and steady at a high level in front of you, matching the high flat pitch of Tone 1.

3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 8 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left side (彳) takes up about one-third of the width, leaving the right side (征) to balance the remaining two-thirds with stable horizontal lines.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 徵 was simplified to 征 by streamlining the intricate inner elements into simpler components while retaining the core phonetic and radical structure.

4. Components

Radical 彳 · Step Radical (movement or walking)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 彳 (indicates movement or expedition)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 正 (original sound: zhèng)

A step (彳) taken in the correct or upright direction (正) to answer a call, march out, or levy taxes.

彳 step / movement
正 correct / upright (provides sound zhēng)

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

9· Phonetic Root: 正 (zhēng)

5. History

Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally combined 彳 (stepping, going) and 正 (straight, correct) to depict marching straight on a military expedition or official summons.

Semantic Evolution: From marching out on a military expedition or official draft, it expanded to mean levying taxes, inviting people, and eventually signs or symptoms that manifest.

In ancient China, military drafts and tax levies were major state expeditions.
The traditional character 徵 is still widely used in classical literature and traditional Chinese regions.

6. Sinosphere

🇻🇳

Sino-Vietnamese

trịnh

The Chinese Tone 1 high level corresponds closely to high or mid level tones in Sino-Vietnamese borrowings.

🇯🇵

Kanji (Japanese)

On: チョウ (chō) / Kun: しるし (shirushi)

🇰🇷

Hanja (Korean)

징

Sound Shift Bridge: Mandarin 'zh-' often corresponds to Sino-Vietnamese 'tr-' and Japanese 'ch-' or 'sh-'.

7. Memory

Vivid Mnemonic Story

You take a STEPS (彳) in the CORRECT (正) direction to answer the government's call to RECRUIT troops and LEVY taxes.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

整

zhěngwhole / orderlyAdds a top wrapper representing to put in order.

症

zhèngdisease / symptomAdds the illness radical (疒) on the left.

Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)

政(zhèng)

政 means politics and uses the beat/strike radical (攵) instead of the step radical (彳).

8. Mastery

Active Recall Challenge

政府決定向企業[___] 20% 的稅。

Clue: zhēng shōu

Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing 征 with 政 (zhèng, politics) because they share the phonetic component 正.

Memory Prompts

Recognition: What does 征 mean when you see it in 征收 (zhēngshōu)?

Production: How do you write the character for 'to levy / recruit' with Pinyin zhēng?

徵zhēngto invite, recruit, levy, or symptom/phenomenon

Speed:

Searching YouTube for native pronunciation videos...

0 / 0