胀 (zhàng) is a Chinese character meaning “to swell”. It is written from 月 (moon; month) and 长 (long; to grow), side by side, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “to swell”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
月 + 长
Left–right structure
Structure from: studyhanzi 现代字形拆分（IDS ⿰月长，已对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数 4+4=8 核验）
Memory aid
The body-side 月 with 长 (to grow) beside it: the flesh keeps growing outward — it swells. Both parts are really in this character.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 肿胀zhǒng zhàngswelling; to be swollen胀 = zhàng
- 胀气zhàng qìbloating; flatulence胀 = zhàng
Go deeper
All readings
to swell
to swell; to be swollen; to expand; to feel bloated
体积变大、鼓起来；身体某处发胀、不舒服。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 肿胀zhǒng zhàngswelling; to be swollen胀 = zhàng
- 胀气zhàng qìbloating; flatulence胀 = zhàng
Sound component
长 family tone diff
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 胀 mean?
胀 (zhàng) means to swell; to be swollen; to expand; to feel bloated.
How do you pronounce 胀?
It is pronounced zhàng.
What parts is 胀 made of?
月 (moon; month) and 长 (long; to grow), side by side. The recorded source is: studyhanzi 现代字形拆分（IDS ⿰月长，已对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数 4+4=8 核验）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 胀 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 胀?
月. 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 胀?
Common ones are 肿胀 and 胀气. The reading of 胀 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.