厂

廠

hǎn, chǎng

HSK 3.0Level 4

Frequency#963

Definitions

chǎng (noun) factory; plant; workshop

Etymology

Pictograph of a cliff or similarly shaped object. Sometimes used interchangeably with 广 to depict a roof. In simplified Chinese 厂 is also used to mean "factory", while in traditional Chinese this meaning is written with a separate character 廠.

About

The character "厂" originated as a pictograph depicting a cliff or a shelter under an overhang, and it historically functioned as a radical in written Chinese. Its traditional form, "廠", combines the building-related radical "广" with the component "敞", which implies a spacious area, thus denoting a large shed or workshop. While the original meaning of "厂" was tied to geographical features, its modern simplified usage has shifted entirely to represent a factory or industrial plant, reflecting a significant change in semantic application from natural to industrial contexts.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这个工厂很大。

Zhège gōngchǎng hěn dà.

This factory is very big.

爸爸在工厂上班。

Bàba zài gōngchǎng shàngbān.

Dad works in a factory.

工厂里有很多工人。

Gōngchǎng lǐ yǒu hěnduō gōngrén.

There are many workers in the factory.

这家工厂生产汽车零件。

Zhè jiā gōngchǎng shēngchǎn qìchē língjiàn.

This factory produces car parts.

工厂的厂房非常宽敞。

Gōngchǎng de chǎngfáng fēichāng kuānchang.

The factory building is very spacious.

厂家提高了产品质量。

Chǎngjiā tígāole chǎnpǐn zhìliàng.

The manufacturer improved the product quality.

厂区内的环境需要保护。

Chǎngqū nèi de huánjìng xūyào bǎohù.

The environment within the factory area needs protection.

这家化工厂采用了先进技术。

Zhè jiā huàgōngchǎng cǎiyòngle xiānjìn jìshù.

This chemical plant adopted advanced technology.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 厂

厂