usually supplies the sound (cháng · Character component

usually supplies the sound (cháng, táng, tǎng, shǎng) and sometimes a background sense of something raised, spacious or open

The lower part of 尚 is 向, a picture of a house with an opening or window cut in it; the two short strokes added on top show something spreading out from that opening — smoke, air or light — though what exactly was meant is not certain. In the modern form you can still see it: a small pointed 'roof-ridge' of three strokes sitting above a box with a mouth-shaped window under it. In today's characters it works almost entirely as a sound clue, which is why 堂, 常, 掌, 淌, 赏 and 躺 all rhyme in the -ang family. A faint trace of the old 'open building' picture survives in 堂 (a hall) and 敞 (spacious, open to view).

尚 at a glance

Meaning
usually supplies the sound (cháng
Strokes
8
Characters
23
Role
Contributes sound

Characters with 尚 (18 of 23)

HSK 2 · 1

HSK 4 · 4

HSK 5 · 1

HSK 6 · 3

Beyond HSK · 9

Frequently asked questions

What does the component 尚 mean?

尚 means "usually supplies the sound (cháng". In the characters that contain it, it contributes sound.

How many Chinese characters contain 尚?

23 characters in this dictionary contain 尚, including ones at HSK 2, HSK 4, HSK 5, HSK 6.

How many strokes does 尚 have?

尚 is written in 8 strokes.