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蹌 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
蹌qiāngto stagger, to stumblex, 17 strokes, radical 足
qiāng(qiang1) T1
  1. 1to stagger, to stumble
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

蹌qiāng(qiang1)

The character 蹌 (qiāng) refers to the action of staggering or stumbling, typically while walking. It conveys a sense of unsteadiness and is often used to describe someone who is struggling to maintain their balance, either physically or metaphorically.

Strokes17Radical足
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, the concept of balance is vital, both physically and symbolically. Stumbling or staggering can be seen as a metaphor for life's challenges, reflecting the importance of perseverance in the face of difficulties.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person trying to walk on a tightrope, but they keep losing their balance and staggering sideways. The character 蹌 has the foot radical (足) at the bottom, hinting at movement or walking, while the top part looks like a person wobbling, which helps you remember the meaning of staggering.

Meanings of 蹌

qiāng(qiang1)
1to stagger, to stumble
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 蹌

蹌Simplified
17Strokes
足Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 蹌

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Podcast: 蹌

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AI Study Notes for 蹌

Usage Notes

This character is often used in literary or descriptive contexts rather than in everyday conversation. Be careful not to confuse it with similar-sounding words; 蹌 is specifically about the action of stumbling. Common collocations include 蹌跄 (qiāngqiàng), which means to stagger.

HSK Study Tips

While 蹌 is not included in the HSK levels, understanding it can enhance your vocabulary around movement and actions. It connects with other words related to walking and balance. Focus on the radicals to help remember its meaning.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 蹌 with similar characters like 跌 (diē) which means 'to fall'. For example, saying '我蹌倒了' (wǒ qiāng dǎo le) instead of '我跌倒了' (wǒ diē dǎo le) can lead to incorrect usage since 蹌 focuses on staggering rather than falling.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 蹌

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Etymology of 蹌

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 足 represents the meaning and 仓 represents the sound. Simplified form of 蹌.

Memory Hint

foot

Semantic (meaning)足
+
Phonetic (sound)倉
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 蹌

Phonosemantic compound. 足 represents the meaning and 仓 represents the sound. Simplified form of 蹌.

  1. 1The meaning half足 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half倉 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayfoot
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 蹌? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 蹌?

Decomposition of 蹌

IDS Structure⿰足倉
蹌Full Character
=
足ju4
left
倉cang1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 蹌?

How to say to stagger, to stumble in Chinese

“to stagger, to stumble” in Chinese is蹌qiāng

The character 蹌 (qiāng) refers to the action of staggering or stumbling, typically while walking. It conveys a sense of unsteadiness and is often used to describe someone who is struggling to maintain their balance, either physically or metaphorically.

When to use 蹌

This character is often used in literary or descriptive contexts rather than in everyday conversation. Be careful not to confuse it with similar-sounding words; 蹌 is specifically about the action of stumbling. Common collocations include 蹌跄 (qiāngqiàng), which means to stagger.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 蹌 with similar characters like 跌 (diē) which means 'to fall'. For example, saying '我蹌倒了' (wǒ qiāng dǎo le) instead of '我跌倒了' (wǒ diē dǎo le) can lead to incorrect usage since 蹌 focuses on staggering rather than falling.

Write 蹌

蹌

Practice writing 蹌 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 蹌

Words Containing This Character3
踉跄to stagger踉蹌
跄qiāngstagger蹌
跄踉to stagger蹌踉
Exercise 1 of 3

Compound Meaning

What does 踉跄 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 蹌

The pinyin for 蹌 is qiāng, with a first tone that is high and level.

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