姜

薑

jiāng

女 + 𦍌

HSK 3.0Level 7

Definitions

jiāng (noun) ginger

Jiāng (noun) surname

Etymology

Simplified form of 薑; grass 艹 provides the meaning while 畺 provides the pronunciation

About

姜 (jiāng) combines 羊 (sheep) and 女 (woman), originally an ideogram for an ancient surname borne by a sheep-herding clan near the Jiang River. Though still a prominent family name, it is now widely used as the simplified form of 薑 (ginger). This traditional character pairs the semantic 艹 (grass) with the phonetic 畺 (jiāng), a structure replaced entirely by the preexisting 姜 for writing efficiency.

Etymology Hide

Oracle etymology image

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 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 Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我在汤里放了姜。

Wǒ zài tāng lǐ fàng le jiāng.

I put ginger in the soup.

喝姜茶可以暖身。

Hē jiāngchá kěyǐ nuǎn shēn.

Drinking ginger tea can warm the body.

姜是一种常见的调料。

Jiāng shì yī zhǒng chángjiàn de tiáoliào.

Ginger is a common seasoning.

这道菜需要姜和蒜。

Zhè dào cài xūyào jiāng hé suàn.

This dish requires ginger and garlic.

姜的味道有点辛辣。

Jiāng de wèidào yǒudiǎn xīnlà.

Ginger has a slightly spicy taste.

姜先生是位老师。

Jiāng xiānsheng shì wèi lǎoshī.

Mr. Jiang is a teacher.

姜的药用价值很高。

Jiāng de yàoyòng jiàzhí hěn gāo.

Ginger has high medicinal value.

姜维是三国时期的名将。

Jiāng Wéi shì Sānguó shíqī de míngjiàng.

Jiang Wei was a famous general during the Three Kingdoms period.

Related Characters

Component: 女

Component: 𦍌

Example Words