胖 (pàng) is a Chinese character meaning “fat”. It is written from 月 (moon; month) and 半 (half), side by side, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “fat; plump”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
月 + 半
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分，经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数据核验（月4画 + 半5画 = 9画）
Memory aid
月 on the left is the flesh component that shows up in body characters; 半 on the right is "half". Half again as much flesh on you — that is 胖, plump.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 胖子pàng zia fat person胖 = pàng
- 肥胖féi pàngobese; overweight胖 = pàng
Go deeper
All readings
fat; plump
fat; plump; stout — said of a person or animal carrying a lot of flesh
（人或动物）身上肉多、体重大，跟「瘦」相对。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 胖子pàng zia fat person胖 = pàng
- 肥胖féi pàngobese; overweight胖 = pàng
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 胖 mean?
胖 (pàng) means fat; plump; stout — said of a person or animal carrying a lot of flesh.
How do you pronounce 胖?
It is pronounced pàng.
What parts is 胖 made of?
月 (moon; month) and 半 (half), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分，经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画数据核验（月4画 + 半5画 = 9画）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 胖 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 胖?
肉. 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 胖?
Common ones are 胖子 and 肥胖. The reading of 胖 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.