桨 (jiǎng) is a Chinese character meaning “oar”. It is written from 丬 (split wood (left form of 爿)) and 夕 (evening) and 木 (tree; wood), one above the other, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “oar; paddle”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
丬 + 夕 + 木
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 桨.json 笔画中位点核验：0-2 居左上＝丬，3-5 居右上＝夕，6-9 居下＝木；与 奖.json 上部分组一致）
Memory aid
A plank of split wood (丬) at evening (夕), set over wood (木): the rower's wooden oar, still dipping into the water after dark.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 船桨chuán jiǎngoar (of a boat)桨 = jiǎng
- 划桨huá jiǎngto paddle; to row with oars桨 = jiǎng
Go deeper
All readings
oar; paddle
oar; paddle; a blade that pushes a boat through water
划船用的工具，一端是扁平的板，用来拨水使船前进。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 船桨chuán jiǎngoar (of a boat)桨 = jiǎng
- 划桨huá jiǎngto paddle; to row with oars桨 = jiǎng
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 桨 mean?
桨 (jiǎng) means oar; paddle; a blade that pushes a boat through water.
How do you pronounce 桨?
It is pronounced jiǎng.
What parts is 桨 made of?
丬 (split wood (left form of 爿)) and 夕 (evening) and 木 (tree; wood), one above the other. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 桨.json 笔画中位点核验：0-2 居左上＝丬，3-5 居右上＝夕，6-9 居下＝木；与 奖.json 上部分组一致）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 桨 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 桨?
木. 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 桨?
Common ones are 船桨 and 划桨. The reading of 桨 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.