铛 (dāng) is a Chinese character meaning “clang”. It is written from 钅 (metal radical (left-side form of 金)) and 当 (to serve as; just at (a time); (here) sound component dāng), side by side, and takes 11 strokes. It has a second reading, chēng, which turns up in 饼铛 — here the two readings are two separate things to learn, not one card with two answers.
Build the character for “clang; (small) bell”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
钅 + 当
Left–right structure
- 钅 metal radical (left-side form of 金) · jīn meaning
- 当 to serve as; just at (a time); (here) sound component dāng · dāng sound
Structure from: 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：钅 5 画 + 当 6 画 = 11 画；右侧 当 dāng 与本字主读音一致，作声符）
Memory aid
钅 on the left is the metal radical — this thing is made of metal. 当 on the right gives the sound: dāng, exactly like this character. Strike a piece of metal and it goes "dāng!" — the clang of a little bell (铃铛).
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 铃铛líng dāngsmall bell; jingle bell铛 = dāngspoken aslíng dang
- 锒铛láng dāngiron chains (for prisoners); clanking of metal铛 = dāng
Go deeper
All readings
clang (of metal)
clang; the ringing sound of struck metal; used in 铃铛 (small bell) and 锒铛 (iron chains)
拟声词，形容撞击金属器物的声音；用于「铃铛」「锒铛」等词。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 铃铛líng dāngsmall bell; jingle bell铛 = dāngspoken aslíng dang
- 锒铛láng dāngiron chains (for prisoners); clanking of metal铛 = dāng
shallow pan; griddle
shallow flat-bottomed pan; griddle (for pancakes)
烙饼或做菜用的平底浅锅。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 饼铛bǐng chēnggriddle for pancakes铛 = chēng
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 铛 mean?
铛 (dāng) means clang; the ringing sound of struck metal; used in 铃铛 (small bell) and 锒铛 (iron chains).
How do you pronounce 铛?
Its main reading is dāng. It also has a second reading, chēng, which only shows up in certain words such as 饼铛 — so the word tells you the reading, not the character on its own.
Why is 铛 sometimes pronounced chēng?
Because it is a multi-reading character: each reading carries a different sense, and the word decides which one applies. In 饼铛 it is read chēng.
What parts is 铛 made of?
钅 (metal radical (left-side form of 金)) and 当 (to serve as; just at (a time); (here) sound component dāng), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：钅 5 画 + 当 6 画 = 11 画；右侧 当 dāng 与本字主读音一致，作声符）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 铛 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 铛?
金. 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 铛?
Common ones are 铃铛 and 锒铛. The reading of 铛 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.