丈 zhàng gentleman
husband; elder
How to remember 丈: 𠂇 left hand + 乀 sweep = gentleman. On the wedding morning the bride takes the razor in her left hand and with one quick sweep turns her wild groom into a true gentleman.
Component breakdown
丈 = 𠂇 left hand + 乀 sweep
- 𠂇 left hand
- 乀 sweep
On the wedding morning the bride takes the razor in her left hand and with one quick sweep turns her wild groom into a true gentleman.
How it came to be
A hand gripping a long measuring staff. The staff was ten feet, which became the unit; the man entitled to carry one became the elder, and both meanings are still in the character.
How it is used
- Chiefly in 丈夫 (zhàngfu) = husband - note the neutral tone on 夫.
- Originally a length unit (~3.3 m), surviving in 万丈 (wànzhàng) "immensely high/deep". Also 丈母娘 (zhàngmuniáng) = mother-in-law (wife's mother).
Characters built with 丈
Words with 丈
Example sentences
- 他是我的丈夫。 Tā shì wǒ de zhàngfu.He's my husband.
- 她不允许丈夫出门。 Tā bù yǔnxǔ zhàngfu chūmén.She won't allow her husband to go out.