长
long, grow
At a glance · 长
Evolution of the glyph
Five stages, from a sketch of the real object to regular script — tap a stage, drag the timeline, or play the animation.
Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seenOracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCESeal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCEClerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CERegular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE
⚠ Some ancient forms are not attested：oracle bone form、seal script form。No excavated oracle bone / seal artifact is attested for this character yet; we leave it blank rather than fabricate.
长字甲骨文象人长发之形，本义为长短之长、年长；繁体作『長』。金文、小篆承之。
What the sketch shows
Origins & notes
长本义为长短、长久，引申为生长、年长。
Structure
长为象形字，描摹长发老人，示长久与年长。
At a glance
Pinyinzhǎng
Radical长
Strokes4
UnicodeU+957F
Character type象形
Theme其他
Six languages, one character
Each page offers hreflang versions; switching language keeps the glyphs and meanings aligned.
English
long, grow
Chang was originally a pictograph of long hair, meaning long and to grow.
Français
long, grandir
Chang était à l'origine un pictogramme de longs cheveux, signifiant long et grandir.
Español
largo, crecer
Chang era originalmente un pictograma de cabello largo, significa largo y crecer.
العربية
طويل، ينمو
تشانغ كان في الأصل رسماً لشعر طويل، يعني الطويل والنمو.
Русский
длинный, расти
Чан изначально было пиктограммой длинных волос, означает длинный и расти.
Common words
- 长处cháng chùstrength
- 长短cháng duǎnlength