状 (zhuàng) is a Chinese character meaning “shape”. It is written from 丬 (split wood (left form of 爿)) and 犬 (dog), side by side, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “shape; state”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
丬 + 犬
Left–right structure
Structure from: 《说文解字》：狀，犬形也。从犬，爿聲。（爿作左偏旁写作丬）
Memory aid
A dog (犬) standing next to a plank of split wood (丬): what you notice first is its shape and the state it is in.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 形状xíng zhuàngshape; form状 = zhuàng
- 状况zhuàng kuàngcondition; state of affairs状 = zhuàngHSK 5
- 状态zhuàng tàistate; condition状 = zhuàngHSK 4
- 症状zhèng zhuàngsymptom状 = zhuàng
Go deeper
All readings
shape; state
shape; form; appearance; state; condition
样子；情况。也指陈述事情的文书。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 形状xíng zhuàngshape; form状 = zhuàng
- 状况zhuàng kuàngcondition; state of affairs状 = zhuàngHSK 5
- 状态zhuàng tàistate; condition状 = zhuàngHSK 4
- 症状zhèng zhuàngsymptom状 = zhuàng
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 状 mean?
状 (zhuàng) means shape; form; appearance; state; condition.
How do you pronounce 状?
It is pronounced zhuàng.
What parts is 状 made of?
丬 (split wood (left form of 爿)) and 犬 (dog), side by side. The recorded source is: 《说文解字》：狀，犬形也。从犬，爿聲。（爿作左偏旁写作丬）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 状 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 状?
丬. 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 状?
Common ones are 形状. The reading of 状 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.