张 (zhāng) means surname Zhang; to open up; to spread. Simplified form has 7 strokes under radical 弓.
One of China's Big Three surnames (Zhang). Pairs well as a surname with J/Z/Ch English names (John, James, Jack, Charlotte). Rarely used as a given name character.
Because 张 is also the standard measure word for flat objects (one piece of paper 一张纸) and a ubiquitous surname, avoid tattooing it standalone.
Origin & Visual Logic: Bow radical (弓) paired with long (长): drawing a long bow taut—representing readiness and expansion.
| Traditional / Simplified | Pinyin | CC-CEDICT Definitions |
|---|---|---|
| 張 / 张 | Zhāng | surname Zhang |
| 張 / 张 | zhāng | to open up; to spread; sheet of paper |
Lexical entries derived from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Make Me a Hanzi (APL / LGPL-3.0).
| Chinese Word | Pinyin | English Meaning | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 张开 | zhāngkāi | to open wide; unfurl | |
| 主张 | zhǔzhāng | to advocate; stand for | |
| 张弛有度 | zhāngchí-yǒudù | balanced tension and relaxation |
See how native speakers pair 张 (zhāng) into modern Chinese names:
"张" has 7 strokes in Simplified Chinese (Traditional form: 張). Its primary dictionary radical is 弓, and you can animate or practice writing every stroke in order using the interactive grid on this page.
Rating: Surname / Classic (Neutral / Surname). One of China's Big Three surnames (Zhang). Pairs well as a surname with J/Z/Ch English names (John, James, Jack, Charlotte). Rarely used as a given name character.
Tattoo rating: Caution Alone. Because 张 is also the standard measure word for flat objects (one piece of paper 一张纸) and a ubiquitous surname, avoid tattooing it standalone.
