HanziGuru.肠 · cháng
肠
cháng[chang2]Tone 2

intestines

HSK 5
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腸
Multiple Readings (多音字):
Guru Deep Dive

English · intestines

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Topology:Left-right
Strokes:7
Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (flesh/moon component) should be slightly narrower, leaving ample space for the right phonetic component 昜 so the character maintains structural equilibrium.
Simplification Logic: The traditional form 腸 uses 昜 on the right, which remains identical in the simplified version; the radical ⺼ (meat/body part) is written identically as a left component.
1. Meaning

intestines

gutsausage (when used in compounds like 香肠)
NounNeutral#anatomy#biology#food
Sample Usage
  • 这道菜油水太大，吃完胃肠不舒服。
    zhè dào cài yóu shuǐ tài dà, chī wán wèi cháng bù shūfu.
    This dish is too greasy; after eating it, my stomach and intestines feel uncomfortable.
  • 我们要了一盘烤肠。
    wǒmen yào le yī pán kǎo cháng.
    We ordered a plate of grilled sausages.
2. Sound
/[t͡ʂʰäŋ³⁵]/Tone: 35
肠
chángchang2
++
´(35)
=cháng
Initial Consonant
ch
Type: Aspirated Retroflex
Sounds like: ch (retroflex hushing sound, like 'tr' in Australian or British 'train' with curled tongue)
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, releasing a sharp burst of breath.
Final Rhyme
ang
Vowel Group: -a vowel group
Sounds like: -ang rhymes with 'ahng' (as in 'father' ending in a nasal -ng)
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'ahng'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T2 (35)
2nd Tone (Mid-Rising)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 2 rises from mid to high pitch, matching an upward-inflected question in English ('Really?').
👂
Listening trap: Confusing cháng with chǎng (Tone 3, low dipping) or zháng (unaspirated initial zh). Make sure to produce the strong aspiration puff for ch- and the rising pitch contour for Tone 2.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: Tone 2 starts in the middle register and sweeps upward to the high ceiling, exactly like nodding upward or saying 'Huh?' when asking for clarification.
3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 7 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (flesh/moon component) should be slightly narrower, leaving ample space for the right phonetic component 昜 so the character maintains structural equilibrium.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 腸 uses 昜 on the right, which remains identical in the simplified version; the radical ⺼ (meat/body part) is written identically as a left component.

4. Components

Radical 月 · Flesh / Meat Radical (⺼) (Body parts, organs, and flesh)

Semantic Clue (形旁): ⺼ (Indicates that the character refers to a body part or internal organ (flesh).)

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

The flesh radical (⺼) on the left pairs with the bright/sun-over-horizon component (昜) on the right, representing an internal body tube associated with digestion.

  • ⺼ Flesh/organ indicator (left side)
  • 昜 Phonetic sound clue providing the 'cháng' pronunciation (right side)
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Combined from the flesh/organ radical (⺼) to show it is a bodily part, and 昜 as a phonetic indicator representing sound and elongation.

Semantic Evolution: Originally denoting internal animal and human entrails or intestines, its core biological meaning remains unchanged in modern Mandarin.

  • In traditional medical texts, internal organs related to digestion were meticulously mapped using the flesh radical.
6. Sinosphere
🇻🇳
Sino-Vietnamese
tràng
Mandarin rising tone (35) corresponds roughly to Vietnamese hỏi/ngã or rising trajectory depending on historical derivation.
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: チョウ (chō) / Kun: はら (hara)
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
장
Sound Shift Bridge: The historical retroflex initial 'ch-' often bridges to 'ch' or 'tr' in related Asian language borrowings.
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

Imagine examining your FLESH (⺼) inside the BRIGHT (昜) sunlight, tracing the long winding path of your INTESTINES.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
场
chǎngfield / courtyardUses earth radical (土) instead of flesh (⺼).
畅
chàngsmooth / fluentUses vertical heart radical (忄) for feelings/smooth flow.
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
场(chǎng)
场 has earth (土) for ground/fields, whereas 肠 has flesh (⺼) for body parts and intestines.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
吃完油腻的食物后，我的[___]很不舒服。
Clue: cháng
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the radical ⺼ (flesh) with the moon/month character 月 when writing, or mixing up the tone with Tone 3 (chǎng).

Memory Prompts
Recognition: What does the character 肠 mean when you see it combined with 胃 (stomach) as 胃肠?
Production: How do you write and pronounce the character for 'intestines' with a rising tone?
Real-World Video Context

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

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