郎

láng

⑤ + 丶 + 阝

Frequency#1457

Definitions

láng (noun) young man; youth

láng (noun) minister; official

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. ⻏ represents the meaning and 良 represents the sound. Originally a place name for what is now Shandong province. The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

About

The character "郎" combines the phonetic component "良" with the radical "阝", a form of "邑" meaning settlement or city, structurally indicating a place-associated term. Its early usage referred to a lane or passage within palace complexes, which then extended to the officials residing in such areas, becoming a title for court attendants. Over time, the term broadened from denoting specific officials to addressing respectable young men, and later it acquired more general applications as a reference to men or husbands, evident in compounds like "新郎" for bridegroom.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical Wu (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

新郎今天很忙。

Xīnláng jīntiān hěn máng.

The bridegroom is very busy today.

那个女郎是谁？

Nàgè nǚláng shì shéi?

Who is that young woman?

郎君在书房看书。

Lángjūn zài shūfáng kànshū.

The husband is reading in the study.

他和我是郎舅关系。

Tā hé wǒ shì lángjiù guānxì.

He and I are in a brother-in-law relationship.

唐代有侍郎官职。

Tángdài yǒu shìláng guānzhí.

In the Tang Dynasty, there was the official position of shilang.

郎猫喜欢晚上活动。

Lángmāo xǐhuān wǎnshàng huódòng.

Tomcats like to be active at night.

郎医生治好了我的病。

Láng yīshēng zhì hǎo le wǒ de bìng.

Doctor Lang cured my illness.

据说那位郎侍郎为人正直。

Jùshuō nà wèi láng shìláng wéirén zhèngzhí.

It is said that that Lang Shilang is an upright person.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: ⑤

Component: 丶

Component: 阝

郎