章

章	U+7AE0, 章 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-7AE0

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

章 (Kangxi radical 117, 立+6, 11 strokes, Cangjie input 卜廿日十 (YTAJ), four-corner 0040₆, composition ⿱立早 or ⿱音十)

Derived characters

障, 蟑, 嶂, 墇, 嫜, 傽, 彰, 璋, 獐, 幛, 瘴, 暲, 樟, 漳, 慞

References

Kangxi Dictionary: page 871, character 8
Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 25761
Dae Jaweon: page 1301, character 17
Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2709, character 4
Unihan data for U+7AE0

Chinese

simp. and trad.		章

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 章
Western Zhou	Warring States	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (章) (Zhengzhang, 2003)

	Old Chinese
章	*kjaŋ
樟	*kjaŋ
彰	*kjaŋ
漳	*kjaŋ
鄣	*kjaŋ
璋	*kjaŋ
嫜	*kjaŋ
獐	*kjaŋ
慞	*kjaŋ
墇	kjaŋ, kjaŋs
障	kjaŋ, kjaŋs
麞	*kjaŋ
蔁	*kjaŋ
暲	*kjaŋ
嶂	*kjaŋs
瘴	*kjaŋs

Ideogrammic compound (會意 / 会意): A chisel 辛 piercing a piece of untreated jade in the middle of the character (now 日). Originally meaning "to treat jade", likely the original character of 璋 or 彰.

Etymology

STEDT compares the word to Proto-Kuki-Chin *klaaŋ-I, *klaan-II (“to shine; light; bright”); see 陽 (OC *laŋ, “sunshine”) for more.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): zhāng (zhang¹)

(Zhuyin): ㄓㄤ

(Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): zang¹

(Xi'an, Guanzhong Pinyin): zhǎng

(Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): җон (žon, I)
Cantonese
(Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): zoeng¹

(Dongguan, Jyutping++): zoeng¹

(Taishan, Wiktionary): ziang¹
Gan (Wiktionary): zong¹
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): chông

(Hailu, HRS): zhong^ˋ

(Meixian, Guangdong): zong¹
Jin (Wiktionary): zan¹
Northern Min (KCR): ció̤ng
Eastern Min (BUC): ciŏng
Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): zieo¹ / ziunn¹ / zyorng¹ / zyoeng¹
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): chiuⁿ / chioⁿ / chiong / chiang

(Teochew, Peng'im): zion¹ / ziên¹ / ziang¹

(Leizhou, Leizhou Pinyin): jiang¹
Southern Pinghua (Nanning, Jyutping++): ziang¹
Wu (Wugniu)
- (Northern): ¹tsaon / ¹tsan
- (Jinhua): ¹ciaon
Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): zhan¹

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: zhāng
  - Zhuyin: ㄓㄤ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: jhang
  - Wade–Giles: chang¹
  - Yale: jāng
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jang
  - Palladius: чжан (čžan)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂɑŋ⁵⁵/
- (Chengdu)
  - Sichuanese Pinyin: zang¹
  - Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: zang
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡saŋ⁵⁵/
- (Xi'an)
  - Guanzhong Pinyin: zhǎng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂaŋ²¹/
- (Dungan)
  - Cyrillic and Wiktionary: җон (žon, I)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂɑŋ²⁴/
  (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: zoeng¹
  - Yale: jēung
  - Cantonese Pinyin: dzoeng¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: zêng¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sœːŋ⁵⁵/
- (Dongguan, Guancheng)
  - Jyutping++: zoeng¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡søŋ²¹³/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: ziang¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡siaŋ³³/
Gan
- (Nanchang)
  - Wiktionary: zong¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sɔŋ⁴²/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chông
  - Hakka Romanization System: zong^ˊ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: zong¹
  - Sinological IPA: /t͡soŋ²⁴/
- (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
  - Hakka Romanization System: zhong^ˋ
  - Sinological IPA: /t͡ʃoŋ⁵³/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: zong¹
  - Sinological IPA: /t͡sɔŋ⁴⁴/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: zan¹
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /t͡sæ̃¹¹/
Northern Min
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: ció̤ng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡siɔŋ⁵⁴/
Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: ciŏng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡suoŋ⁵⁵/
Puxian Min
- (Putian)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: zieo¹
  - Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: ca̤uⁿ
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sieu⁵³³/
- (Xianyou)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: ziunn¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sĩũ⁵⁴⁴/
- (Putian)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: zyorng¹
  - Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: cio̤ng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡syɒŋ⁵³³/
- (Xianyou)
  - Pouseng Ping'ing: zyoeng¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡syøŋ⁵⁴⁴/

Note:

zieo1/ziunn1 - vernacular;
zyorng1/zyoeng1 - literary (incl. surname).

Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Taipei, Taichung, Hsinchu, Kaohsiung, Lukang, Sanxia, Yilan, Kinmen, Magong)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chiuⁿ
  - Tâi-lô: tsiunn
  - Phofsit Daibuun: cviw
  - Sinological IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Lukang): /t͡siũ³³/
  - Sinological IPA (Xiamen, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Yilan, Kinmen): /t͡siũ⁴⁴/
- (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, Tainan)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chioⁿ
  - Tâi-lô: tsionn
  - Phofsit Daibuun: cvioy
  - Sinological IPA (Zhangzhou, Tainan): /t͡siɔ̃⁴⁴/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Jinjiang, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chiong
  - Tâi-lô: tsiong
  - Phofsit Daibuun: ciofng
  - Sinological IPA (Xiamen, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /t͡siɔŋ⁴⁴/
  - Sinological IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /t͡siɔŋ³³/
- (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chiang
  - Tâi-lô: tsiang
  - Phofsit Daibuun: ciafng
  - Sinological IPA (Zhangzhou): /t͡siaŋ⁴⁴/

Note:

chiuⁿ/chioⁿ - vernacular (incl. surname in Taiwan);
chiong/chiang - literary (incl. surname in Mainland China and Taiwan).

(Teochew)
- Peng'im: zion¹ / ziên¹ / ziang¹
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tsioⁿ / tsieⁿ / tsiang
- Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sĩõ³³/, /t͡sĩẽ³³/, /t͡siaŋ³³/

Note:

zion1/ziên1 - vernacular (incl. surname) (ziên1 - Chaozhou);
ziang1 - literary.

(Leizhou)
- Leizhou Pinyin: jiang¹
- Sinological IPA: /t͡siaŋ³⁵/

Southern Pinghua
- (Nanning Pinghua, Tingzi)
  - Jyutping++: ziang¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡siɐŋ⁵³/
Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai, Jiading, Songjiang, Suzhou, Shaoxing, Ningbo, Zhoushan)
  - Wugniu: ¹tsaon
  - MiniDict: tsaon^平
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹tsaan
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /t͡sɑ̃⁵³/
  - Sinological IPA (Jiading): /t͡sɑ̃⁵³/
  - Sinological IPA (Songjiang): /t͡sɒ̃⁵³/
  - Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /t͡sɑ̃⁴⁴/
  - Sinological IPA (Shaoxing): /t͡sɒŋ⁵²/
  - Sinological IPA (Ningbo): /t͡sɔ̃⁵²/
  - Sinological IPA (Zhoushan): /t͡sɔ⁵³/
- (Northern: Songjiang, Chongming, Suzhou, Changzhou, Jiaxing, Hangzhou)
  - Wugniu: ¹tsan
  - MiniDict: tsan^平
  - Sinological IPA (Songjiang): /t͡sæ̃⁵³/
  - Sinological IPA (Chongming): /t͡sã⁵⁵/
  - Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /t͡sã⁴⁴/
  - Sinological IPA (Changzhou): /t͡saŋ⁵⁵/
  - Sinological IPA (Jiaxing): /t͡sã⁵³/
  - Sinological IPA (Hangzhou): /t͡sɑŋ³³⁴/
- (Jinhua)
  - Wugniu: ¹ciaon
  - Sinological IPA (Jinhua): /t͡ɕiɑŋ³³⁴/
Xiang
- (Changsha)
  - Wiktionary: zhan¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key) (old-style): /ʈ͡ʂan³³/
  - Sinological IPA ^(key) (new-style): /t͡san³³/

Middle Chinese: tsyang

Rime
Character	章
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	章 (23)
Final (韻)	陽 (105)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	諸良切
Baxter	tsyang
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/t͡ɕɨɐŋ/
Pan Wuyun	/t͡ɕiɐŋ/
Shao Rongfen	/t͡ɕiɑŋ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/cɨaŋ/
Li Rong	/t͡ɕiaŋ/
Wang Li	/t͡ɕĭaŋ/
Bernhard Karlgren	/t͡ɕi̯aŋ/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	zhāng
Expected Cantonese Reflex	zoeng¹

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*taŋ/

(Zhengzhang): /*kjaŋ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	章
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	zhāng
Middle Chinese	‹ tsyang ›
Old Chinese	/*taŋ/
English	brilliant; distinctive mark; to display
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	章
Reading #	1/1
No.	16817
Phonetic component	章
Rime group	陽
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	章
Old Chinese	/*kjaŋ/

Definitions

章

chapter; section
九章算術／九章算术 ― jiǔ zhāng suànshù ― The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art

章節／章节 ― zhāngjié ― chapter, section

樂章／乐章 ― yuèzhāng ― (music) movement
composition; structure
文章 ― wénzhāng ― article, essay
rules; regulations; constitution; charter
章程 ― zhāngchéng ― rules; charter

按章工作 ― ànzhānggōngzuò ― work-to-rule
seal; stamp
圖章／图章 ― túzhāng ― stamp, seal
badge; medal; emblem
徽章 ― huīzhāng ― badge, emblem
order (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?)
雜亂無章／杂乱无章 ― záluànwúzhāng ― confusing and disordered; chaotic
memorial to the throne
奏章 ― zòuzhāng ― memorial to the throne
(Cantonese) mahjong tiles
(alt. form 彰) obvious; well-known
(alt. form 彰) to make manifest; to display; to express
(alt. form 彰) to commend; to praise; to distinguish
- 「殷之三仁」皆暗於前而章於後，何益於事？何補於君？ [MSC, trad.]
  「殷之三仁」皆暗于前而章于后，何益于事？何补于君？ [MSC, simp.]
  From: c. early 1st century, Huan Tan (桓譚), New Treatise (《新論》)
  “Yīn zhī sānrén” jiē àn yú qián ér zhāng yú hòu, hé yì yú shì? Hé bǔ yú jūn? [Pinyin]
  The so-called "three virtuous men of Yin" were all in various forms of oblivion beforehand and were accorded great fame after the fact. How did that help with the matters of their country? What use were there to their prince?
Classifier for chapters, etc.
(Chinese astronomy) the cycle of 19 years (approximate common multiple for the synodic month and tropical year, similar to the Metonic cycle)
章動／章动 ― zhāngdòng ― nutation
- 十九歲為一章。四章為一蔀，七十六歲。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
  十九岁为一章。四章为一蔀，七十六岁。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
  From: c. early 3rd century, Zhao Shuang (趙爽), editor. Zhoubi Suanjing (《周髀算經》)
  Shíjiǔ suì wéi yī zhāng. Sì zhāng wèi yī bù, qīshíliù suì. [Pinyin]
  [The cycle of] nineteen years constitute one zhang. Four zhang make one bu, which is seventy-six years.
a surname, Zhang and Cheung
章子怡 ― Zhāng Zǐyí ― Zhang Ziyi

Synonyms

(chapter): 章段 (zhāngduàn)

Compounds

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (章):

→ Japanese: 章(しょう) (shō)
→ Korean: 장(章) (jang)
→ Vietnamese: chương (章)

Others:

→ English: Chang, Zhang, Cheung, Chiang, Cheang, Cheong

References

“章”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[1], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

Japanese

Kanji

章

(Third grade kyōiku kanji)

Readings

Go-on: しょう (shō, Jōyō)^{←しやう (syau, historical)}
Kan-on: しょう (shō, Jōyō)^{←しやう (syau, historical)}
Kun: あや (aya, 章)、しるし (shirushi, 章)、ふみ (fumi, 章)
Nanori: あき (aki)、あきら (akira)、あや (aya)、ふみ (fumi)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
章
しょう Grade: 3
on'yomi

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ɕo̞ː]
(Tokyo) しょー [shóꜜò] (Atamadaka – [1])

Noun

章(しょう) • (shō) ^{←しやう (syau)^?}

chapter; section
badge

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
章
あきら Grade: 3
nanori

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [a̠kʲiɾa̠]
(Tokyo) あきら [áꜜkìrà] (Atamadaka – [1])

Proper noun

章(あきら) • (Akira)

a male given name

Compounds

Derived terms

References

“^△章”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎^[2] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2026

Korean

Hanja

章 (eumhun 글 장 (geul jang))

hanja form^? of 장 (“chapter”)

Vietnamese

Han character

章: Hán Nôm readings: chương

Noun

章

chữ Hán form of chương (“(of a book, guideline or legislative document) a chapter”)
Synonym: 回 (hồi)

小說章回 (tiểu thuyết chương hồi)
novels that are divided into multiple chapters

Derived terms