ZHIZHI 知止 · LEARN CHINESE DAILY

husband (in 丈夫); 3.3 meters

zhàng
3 strokes · 十 (ten) held in a hand 又 — ten hand-spans of length · HSK 2

Where 丈 comes from

丈 shows a hand gripping ten — ten spans, an ancient unit around 3.3 meters. A grown man measured about one 丈 with arms raised, so 丈夫 'one-zhang man' came to mean a full adult male, then a husband.

丈 in Chinese culture

丈夫 is husband; 大丈夫 is a 'great man' — someone of real character, as in Mencius's line that a true 大丈夫 cannot be corrupted by wealth or bent by force. Your wife's father is 丈人 — the man you measure up to.

Example

丈夫 zhàngfu — husband

她丈夫是医生。
Tā zhàngfu shì yīshēng.
Her husband is a doctor.

How to remember it

A hand holding TEN spans — the full MEASURE of a man: HUSBAND.

丈二和尚摸不着头脑 'a 3.96-meter monk whose head you can't reach' means utterly baffled — confusion measured in 丈.

Same sound, different tones

1st zhāng
to open
3rd zhǎng
to rise (prices)
4th zhàng
husband; zhang

Words unlocked by 丈

丈夫 zhàngfu
husband
大丈夫 dà zhàngfu
a true man
丈人 zhàngren
wife's father

Related characters

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