长

• Pinyin: cháng
• Hanzi breakdown: 长 — simplified from 長; originally a pictograph of a person with long hair

Meaning

Long. Describes physical length or duration of time.

Used to describe physical length, duration of time, or as part of many compound words. The opposite is 短 (short). Note that this character has a second pronunciation zhǎng meaning 'to grow' or 'elder.'

Examples

1. 这条路很长，我们走了两个小时。 This road is very long — we walked for two hours.
2. 她的头发又长又黑。 Her hair is long and black.
3. 暑假很长，有两个月。 The summer holiday is long — it's two months.

Usage Guide

Context: description, comparison, measurement

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 这条河很长。(This river is very long.)
• 我们认识的时间很长了。(We've known each other for a long time.)

Don't Say

• Do not confuse 长 (cháng, long) with 长 (zhǎng, to grow/elder). Same character, different pronunciation and meaning — 长大 (zhǎng dà) means 'to grow up.'

Origin & History

Pictographic character originally depicting a person with long flowing hair. Extended from 'long hair' to 'long' in general.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal