cháng

length

HSK 2 4 strokes
Stroke order animation for 长

Words with this Character

cháng HSK 2
length
校长 xiào zhǎng HSK 3
(college, university) president
队长 duìzhǎng HSK 4
队长
家长 jiāzhǎng HSK 4
家长
院长 yuànzhǎng HSK 4
院长
增长 zēng zhǎng HSK 4
to grow
长城 cháng chéng HSK 4
the Great Wall
长江 cháng jiāng HSK 4
Yangtze River, or Chang Jiang
成长 chéng zhǎng HSK 5
to mature
生长 shēngzhǎng HSK 5
生长
延长 yán cháng HSK 5
Yanchang county in Yan'an 安, Shaanxi
长处 chángchù HSK 5
长处
长度 chángdù HSK 5
长度
长久 chángjiǔ HSK 5
长久
长期 chángqī HSK 5
长期
长途 cháng tú HSK 5
long distance
长远 chángyuǎn HSK 5
长远
漫长 màn cháng HSK 6
very long
擅长 shàn cháng HSK 6
to be good at; to be expert in
特长 tè cháng HSK 6
personal strength
长辈 zhǎng bèi HSK 6
one's elders
长短 chángduǎn HSK 6
长短
长寿 chángshòu HSK 6
长寿
专长 zhuān cháng HSK 6
specialty
滋长 zī zhǎng HSK 6
to grow (usually of abstract things)
董事长 dǒng shì zhǎng HSK 6
chairman of the board of directors
拔苗助长 bá miáo zhù zhǎng HSK 6
to spoil things through excessive enthusiasm (idiom)
冗长 rǒngcháng HSK 7
冗长
师长 shīzhǎng HSK 7
师长
修长 xiūcháng HSK 7
修长
长相 zhǎngxiàng HSK 7
长相
长效 chángxiào HSK 7
长效
长征 chángzhēng HSK 7
长征
长足 chángzú HSK 7
长足
天长地久 tiāncháng-dìjiǔ HSK 7
天长地久
土生土长 tǔshēng-tǔzhǎng HSK 7
土生土长
揠苗助长 yàmiáo-zhùzhǎng HSK 7
揠苗助长
一技之长 yíjìzhīcháng HSK 7
一技之长
源远流长 yuányuǎn-liúcháng HSK 7
源远流长
长期以来 chángqī yǐlái HSK 7
长期以来

Usage of (cháng)

The character primarily means "long" or "length" and is used to describe the physical length of objects, time duration, or abstract extents. It is a common adjective and noun in everyday conversation.

Common contexts

  • Physical length: describing objects like rivers, hair, clothes.
  • Duration: expressing long periods of time.
  • Superlative forms: used in phrases like "" (the longest).

Collocations and patterns

  • 时间 (cháng shíjiān): long time, often used to talk about durations.
  • (tài cháng le): too long, a common phrase to express something exceeds desired length.
  • ... (bǐ... cháng): comparative structure meaning "longer than...".

Notes

  • can also be pronounced zhǎng with a different meaning (to grow, leader), but here we focus on the cháng pronunciation.
  • When describing length, usually comes after the noun it modifies, e.g., 头发 (hair is long).
  • Avoid confusing with (duǎn), which means "short."

Example Sentences

这条河很长。

Zhè tiáo hé hěn cháng.

This river is very long.

他的头发比我的长。

Tā de tóufa bǐ wǒ de cháng.

His hair is longer than mine.

这条裤子太长了,需要剪短一点。

Zhè tiáo kùzi tài cháng le, xūyào jiǎn duǎn yīdiǎn.

These pants are too long; they need to be shortened a bit.

他在公司工作了很长时间。

Tā zài gōngsī gōngzuò le hěn cháng shíjiān.

He has worked at the company for a long time.

长江是中国最长的河流。

Cháng Jiāng shì Zhōngguó zuì cháng de héliú.

The Yangtze River is the longest river in China.