mostly marks the sound zhuang/jiang · Kangxi radical

mostly marks the sound zhuang/jiang, and traces back to a picture of a split piece of wood

丬 is the squeezed left-hand form of 爿, which shows a tree trunk split down the middle — 爿 is the left half and 片 ("slice, plank") is the right half, the two halves of one drawing. Written on the left of a character it loses its width and becomes just three strokes: a short slanting stroke, a horizontal, and a long vertical, still leaning like a standing board. In almost all these characters it works as a sound clue rather than a meaning clue, giving the zhuang of 壮, 妆, 状 and the jiang of 将, 桨, 浆, 酱, 奖. Some read the same upright plank shape as a bed or couch seen from the side, which fits 寝 "sleep".

丬 at a glance

Meaning
mostly marks the sound zhuang/jiang
Strokes
3
Characters
9
Role
Usually contributes sound

Characters with 丬

HSK 4 · 1

HSK 5 · 2

HSK 6 · 3

Beyond HSK · 3

Frequently asked questions

What does the component 丬 mean?

丬 means "mostly marks the sound zhuang/jiang". In the characters that contain it, it usually contributes sound.

How many Chinese characters contain 丬?

9 characters in this dictionary contain 丬, including ones at HSK 4, HSK 5, HSK 6.

How many strokes does 丬 have?

丬 is written in 3 strokes.