The character 长 — “long”: how to write it and what it means
long
The Chinese character 长 is read cháng and means “long”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 长
长 has 4 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 长, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 长 is made of
Its second reading is zhǎng, “grow”.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 长
- 校长principal, rectorHSK 3
- 家长parent (of a student)HSK 4
- 增长grow (of figures)HSK 4
- 院长director (of an institute, hospital)HSK 4
- 队长team captainHSK 4
- 长途long-distanceHSK 5
- 长远long-rangeHSK 5
- 长期long term; long-termHSK 5
- 长久long-lastingHSK 5
- 延长extend, prolongHSK 5
- 擅长be good atHSK 5
- 成长grow upHSK 5
- 长处strong pointHSK 5
- 生长grow, develop (of living things)HSK 5
- 长度lengthHSK 5
- 长辈elder (by generation)HSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 长?
长 has 4 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 长 mean?
长 means “long”. It appears in 校长 (“principal”), 家长 (“parent”), 增长 (“grow”), 院长 (“director”).
How do you pronounce 长?
长 is read cháng. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 长 have?
4 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 长 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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