将 (jiāng) is a Chinese character meaning “will”. It is written from 丬 (split wood (left form of 爿)) and 夕 (evening) and 寸 (cun; inch), side by side, and takes 9 strokes. It has a second reading, jiàng, which turns up in 将军 — here the two readings are two separate things to learn, not one card with two answers.
Build the character for “will; be about to”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
丬 + 夕 + 寸
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 将.json 笔画分组核验：0-2=丬，3-5=夕，6-8=寸）
Memory aid
A plank of split wood (丬) stands at the left. At evening (夕) a hand measures off an inch (寸) beside it — the commander marking out tomorrow's plan. All three parts are really in this character.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 将来jiāng láithe future; in the future将 = jiāng
- 即将jí jiāngabout to; on the point of将 = jiāng
Go deeper
All readings
will; be about to
will; shall; be about to; (formal) to take; with
表示将要发生；也作介词，相当于「把」。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 将来jiāng láithe future; in the future将 = jiāng
- 即将jí jiāngabout to; on the point of将 = jiāng
general (military)
a general; a high-ranking military officer
军队中的高级指挥官。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 将军jiàng jūngeneral (military rank)将 = jiàng
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 将 mean?
将 (jiāng) means will; shall; be about to; (formal) to take; with.
How do you pronounce 将?
Its main reading is jiāng. It also has a second reading, jiàng, which only shows up in certain words such as 将军 — so the word tells you the reading, not the character on its own.
Why is 将 sometimes pronounced jiàng?
Because it is a multi-reading character: each reading carries a different sense, and the word decides which one applies. In 将军 it is read jiàng.
What parts is 将 made of?
丬 (split wood (left form of 爿)) and 夕 (evening) and 寸 (cun; inch), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 将.json 笔画分组核验：0-2=丬，3-5=夕，6-8=寸）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 将 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 将?
寸. 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 将?
Common ones are 将来 and 即将. The reading of 将 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.