Definitions

qiáng (noun) wall

Etymology

Simplified form of . Phonosemantic compound. represents the sound and represents the meaning.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character for "wall", traditionally written as "牆", structurally combines the component "爿", which denotes a piece of wood or a structural slab, with "嗇", functioning phonetically but also implying an enclosed or protected space. Its core meaning as a built barrier or partition has remained consistent, though the conceptual focus shifted from wooden constructions to more general masonry. The simplified form "墙" replaces the left element with "土" (earth), directly highlighting the common earthen material of walls, while the right component "啬" is a graphic simplification of "嗇", maintaining the character's phonetic association.

Etymology Hide

Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这面很白。

Zhè miàn qiáng hěn bái.

This wall is very white.

我们的教室有一面大

Wǒmen de jiàoshì yǒu yī miàn dà qiáng.

Our classroom has a big wall.

他在上贴了一张地图。

Tā zài qiáng shàng tiē le yī zhāng dìtú.

He put a map on the wall.

公园的围是红色的。

Gōngyuán de wéiqiáng shì hóngsè de.

The park's surrounding wall is red.

古老的城吸引了很多游客。

Gǔlǎo de chéngqiáng xīyǐn le hěn duō yóukè.

The ancient city wall attracts many tourists.

这堵的隔音效果非常好。

Zhè dǔ qiáng de géyīn xiàoguǒ fēicháng hǎo.

The sound insulation of this wall is excellent.

角的爬山虎长得非常茂盛。

Qiángjiǎo de páshānhǔ zhǎng dé fēicháng màoshèng.

The ivy in the corner of the wall is growing very lushly.

的保护工作正在有序进行。

Chéngqiáng de bǎohù gōngzuò zhèngzài yǒuxù jìnxíng.

The conservation work on the city wall is proceeding in an orderly manner.