HanziGuru.砖 · zhuān
砖
zhuān[zhuan1]Tone 1

brick

HSK 7
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磚
Multiple Readings (多音字):
Guru Deep Dive

English · brick

Cached lesson
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Topology:Left-right
Strokes:9
Writing Balance Rule: Keep the left radical (石) slightly narrower and positioned higher, leaving enough room for the right phonetic component (专) to expand downward and outward for structural harmony.
Simplification Logic: The traditional form 磚 pairs the stone radical 石 with 專. The simplified form 砖 retains this exact left-right structure without changing components.
1. Meaning

brick

tile (floor or wall, not roof)brick-shaped object
NounNeutral#construction#building materials#architecture
Sample Usage
  • 这面墙是用红砖砌成的。
    zhè miàn qiáng shì yòng hóng zhuān qì chéng de.
    This wall is built of red bricks.
  • 工人们正在搬运砖头。
    gōng rén men zhèng zài bān yùn zhuān tóu.
    The workers are carrying bricks.
2. Sound
/[tʂu̯an⁵⁵]/Tone: 55
砖
zhuānzhuan1
++
¯(55)
=zhuān
Build the syllable
Step-by-step blending
zhuan
Tone mark placement: Tone mark sits on "a" per main-vowel priority (a > e > o; in -iu/-ui the mark takes the second vowel).
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
uan
Vowel Group: -a vowel group
Sounds like: -uan rhymes withoo-ahn
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'wahn'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T1 (55)
1st Tone (High-Flat)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 1 stays flat and high at the top of your vocal range, like a sustained musical pitch.
👂
Listening trap: Beginners often confuse the retroflex initial 'zh-' with the alveolar affricate 'j-' or 'z-'. Ensure your tongue is curled backward for the retroflex sound rather than resting flat behind your lower front teeth.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: Tone 1 is a flat, high horizontal line in the air, similar to singing a steady, high musical note.
3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 9 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: Keep the left radical (石) slightly narrower and positioned higher, leaving enough room for the right phonetic component (专) to expand downward and outward for structural harmony.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 磚 pairs the stone radical 石 with 專. The simplified form 砖 retains this exact left-right structure without changing components.

4. Components

Radical 石 · Stone Radical (stone, rock)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 石 (Indicates that the object is made of stone or hard earth material (construction material).)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 专 (original sound: zhuān)

A heavy block made of hard stone (石) compressed and shaped into a specialized (专) rectangle for building walls.

  • 石 Stone radical indicating material
  • 专 Phonetic component providing the sound zhuān
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Combined from the semantic radical 石 (stone/rock) and the phonetic component 专 (zhuān), reflecting the ancient practice of firing clay or shaping stone-like materials into rectangular building blocks.

Semantic Evolution: Originally referred to hard building tiles and fired blocks of clay, eventually standardizing into the modern meaning of 'brick' or 'floor/wall tile'.

  • Bricks in ancient China were stamped with inscriptions indicating the dynasty, kiln, and maker to ensure quality control.
  • The Great Wall utilizes massive quantities of fired bricks in its later structural phases.
6. Sinosphere
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

Imagine carrying a heavy block of STONE (石) that is specially (专) molded into a rectangular BRICK (砖) for building a fortress.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
专
zhuānspecialized / focusedPhonetic Core (声旁)
传
chuánto pass on, to transmit, to spread+ 亻 (person)
转
zhuǎito turn (specifically used in the idiom zhuǎi wén to show off one's literary skills)+ 车 (car)
抟
tuánto roll up into a ball with one's hands (variant of 團|团[tuan2]); (literary) to circle; to wheel+ 扌 (hand)
Explore this family →
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
转(zhuǎn)
砖 has the stone radical (石) for bricks, whereas 转 has the vehicle radical (车) for turning or revolving.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
工人正在用红[___]建造一栋新房子。
Clue: zhuān
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the left radical 石 (stone) with similar left-side radicals like 车 (vehicle) found in 转, leading to incorrect character generation.

Memory Prompts
Recognition: When you see the character 砖, what does it mean and how do you pronounce it?
Production: How do you write the character for 'brick' (zhuān) combining the stone radical and the phonetic part?
Real-World Video Context

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

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