Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (water) takes up about one-third of the width, while the right phonetic component takes up the remaining two-thirds. Keep the horizontal strokes evenly spaced.
Simplification Logic: The traditional form 漲 uses the standard water radical 氵 on the left and 張 on the right. The simplified character keeps the identical structure.
1. Meaning
to rise or surge (specifically used for water levels, prices, or swelling)
to swell or distendto flush or become flushed (e.g. face turning red with anger)
VerbNeutral#economics#nature#physical state
Sample Usage
河水涨了。
hé shuǐ zhǎng le.
The river water has risen.
房价一直在涨。
fáng jià yì zhí zài zhǎng.
House prices keep rising.
2. Sound
/[ʈʂäŋ²¹⁴]/Tone: 214
涨
zhǎngzhang3
|
++
ˇ(214)
=zhǎng
Initial Consonant
zh
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
ang
Vowel Group: -a vowel group
Sounds like: ang rhymes with song or bang
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'ahng'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T3 (214)
2 → 1 → 4 (214)
3rd Tone (Low-Dipping)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 3 starts mid, dips low to the bottom of your vocal range, and sweeps up high, just like asking a disbelieving 'Really?' in English.
Sandhi: When followed by another 3rd tone syllable, zhǎng changes to a 2nd tone (rising 35) according to standard Mandarin third-tone sandhi rules.
👂
Listening trap: Do not confuse it with zhàng (4th tone, meaning swollen or accounts). The tone change dramatically alters the word's economic or physical nuance.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: Make a dipping dipping hand motion starting midway, dipping down low, and sweeping back up high to mirror the 214 contour.
3. Writing
Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 11 strokes
Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (water) takes up about one-third of the width, while the right phonetic component takes up the remaining two-thirds. Keep the horizontal strokes evenly spaced.
Simplification Logic: The traditional form 漲 uses the standard water radical 氵 on the left and 張 on the right. The simplified character keeps the identical structure.
4. Components
Radical氵 · Water Radical (water, liquids, rivers)
Semantic Clue (形旁):氵 (indicates liquids, rivers, or overflowing water)
Phonetic Clue (声旁):张 (original sound: zhāng)
Water (氵) combines with the sound-maker 'to stretch/expand' (张) to paint the picture of water or prices stretching upward and overflowing.
氵 water semantic clue
张 phonetic and structural clue meaning to stretch
Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
3· Phonetic Root: 张 (zhāng)
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)
Origin: Originally combining the water radical to represent swelling rivers and a phonetic element giving the approximate sound and the sense of expansion or stretching.
Semantic Evolution: Expanded from literal river water rising and overflowing banks to metaphorical price increases and physical swelling.
The component 张 originally depicted drawing a bowstring, inherently carrying the concept of tension and expansion.
6. Sinosphere
🇻🇳
Sino-Vietnamese
trướng
The Sino-Vietnamese reading 'trướng' parallels the rising or swelling connotations found in Chinese compound words.
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: チョウ (chō) / Kun: ふくら.む (fukura.mu), は.る (ha.ru)
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
장
Sound Shift Bridge: The retroflex initial zh often bridges to tr- or ch- in historical borrowings, while the final -ang corresponds to similar nasal endings.
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story
Imagine rushing water (氵) stretching (张) upward like a giant rubber band, causing river levels and market prices to surge sky-high.
Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
张
zhāngto stretch / sheetUses the archer component without water; means to stretch or open.
胀
zhàngto swell / bloatedUses the flesh/moon radical (月) instead of water; refers to bodily bloating.
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
张(zhāng)
Missing the water radical (氵) on the left; refers to flat objects or stretching.
胀(zhàng)
Replaces water (氵) with flesh/moon (月), referring to a bloated stomach or physical swelling.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
最近油价又在往[___]了。
Clue: zhǎng
Common Learner Pitfall
Confusing the third tone (zhǎng, to rise) with the fourth tone (zhàng, bloated/swollen), or forgetting the water radical when writing.
Memory Prompts
Recognition: When you see 涨 with water on the left and an upward trend context, what does it mean and how is it pronounced?
Production: How do you write the character for 'prices rising' (zhǎng) using water and the stretch component?
Real-World Video Context
Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.
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涨zhǎngto rise (of prices, rivers)
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