壮 (zhuàng) is a Chinese character meaning “strong”. It is written from 丬 (split wood (left form of 爿)) and 士 (scholar), side by side, and takes 6 strokes.
Build the character for “strong”
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Structure
丬 + 士
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字：壯，大也。从士，爿聲（简化字形左旁作「丬」）
Memory aid
A plank of split wood (丬) propped against a standing man (士): braced like that, he looks strong and imposing.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
6 strokes
In real words
- 强壮qiáng zhuàngstrong; robust; sturdy (of a body)壮 = zhuàng
- 壮观zhuàng guānmagnificent sight; spectacular壮 = zhuàng
- 茁壮zhuó zhuàngsturdy and thriving; (of plants, animals, children) growing strong and healthy壮 = zhuàng
- 茁壮成长zhuó zhuàng chéng zhǎngto grow up strong and healthy; to thrive壮 = zhuàng
Go deeper
All readings
strong
strong; robust; sturdy; grand; magnificent
强健有力；也指规模宏大、气势雄伟。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 强壮qiáng zhuàngstrong; robust; sturdy (of a body)壮 = zhuàng
- 壮观zhuàng guānmagnificent sight; spectacular壮 = zhuàng
- 茁壮zhuó zhuàngsturdy and thriving; (of plants, animals, children) growing strong and healthy壮 = zhuàng
- 茁壮成长zhuó zhuàng chéng zhǎngto grow up strong and healthy; to thrive壮 = zhuàng
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 壮 mean?
壮 (zhuàng) means strong; robust; sturdy; grand; magnificent.
How do you pronounce 壮?
It is pronounced zhuàng.
What parts is 壮 made of?
丬 (split wood (left form of 爿)) and 士 (scholar), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字：壯，大也。从士，爿聲（简化字形左旁作「丬」）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 壮 have?
6. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 壮?
士. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 壮?
Common ones are 强壮 and 壮观. The reading of 壮 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.