张 zhāng stretch
measure word for flat things - sheets, tables, tickets
How to remember 张: 弓 bow + 长 long = stretch. The archery coach picks up a bow for a long shot and slowly draws back the string as far as it will stretch.
Component breakdown
张 = 弓 bow + 长 long
- 弓 bow
- 长 long
The archery coach picks up a bow for a long shot and slowly draws back the string as far as it will stretch.
How it came to be
A bow with long beside it. Drawing a bow is pulling it long, opening it out under tension, so the same word stretches to spreading anything out and to the counter for flat things.
How it is used
- Measure word for flat things - 一张纸 (yì zhāng zhǐ) a sheet of paper, 一张桌子 (yì zhāng zhuōzi) a table, 一张票 (yì zhāng piào) a ticket, 一张脸 (yì zhāng liǎn) a face.
- Also a verb "to spread/stretch open", surviving mostly in compounds: 紧张 (jǐnzhāng) tense, 夸张 (kuāzhāng) to exaggerate, 开张 (kāizhāng) to open for business (a shop's first day).
- One of the commonest surnames - 小张 (Xiǎo Zhāng) a casual way to address a Mr./Ms. Zhang.
Characters built with 张
Words with 张
- 紧张jǐnzhāngnervousHSK 4
- 主张zhǔzhāngto advocateHSK 6
- 夸张kuāzhāngto exaggerateHSK 6
- 东张西望dōngzhāng-xīwàngto look in all directions (idiom)HSK 7
- 开张kāizhāngto open a businessHSK 7
- 张扬zhāngyángZhang Yang, PRC film director and screenwriterHSK 7
- 张灯结彩zhāngdēng-jiécǎito be decorated with lanterns and colored bannersHSK 7
- 伸张shēnzhāngto uphold (e.g. justice or virtue)HSK 8
- 嚣张xiāozhāngrampantHSK 8
- 张贴zhāngtiēto post (a notice)HSK 8
- 慌张huāngzhāngflusteredHSK 8
- 扩张kuòzhāngexpansionHSK 8
Example sentences
- 请张开嘴。 Qǐng zhāngkāi zuǐ.Please open your mouth.
- 我有两张门票。 Wǒ yǒu liǎng zhāng ménpiào.I've got two tickets.
- 客厅里有一张方桌。 Kètīng lǐ yǒu yī zhāng fāngzhuō.There's a square table in the living room.
- 信封上贴着两张邮票。 Xìnfēng shàng tiēzhe liǎng zhāng yóupiào.There are two stamps pasted on the envelope.