长
The 长 radical
Long; to grow
Variants: 長 镸
Memory hook
An old person with long hair leaning on a staff — long hair gives 'long', great age gives the reading zhǎng, 'senior': 长短 (length), 长大 (to grow up).
The 长 radical (read cháng) means long; to grow. The HSK 3.0 data contains 1 characters and 55 words built on it — learning them together is far faster than one character at a time.
Practise the 长 radical
Study this radical's 55 words with flashcards or a quiz.
The free plan drills 15 words per radical. Upgrade to Premium
Characters with the 长 radical
1 charactersHSK 2· 1 characters
HSK 2长
long
Vocabulary with the 长 radical
55 wordsWords containing at least one character with the 长 radical, ordered by HSK level.
The free plan shows 9 words per HSK level (43/55 words of this radical).
parent; guardian
mayor
principal; headmaster; president (of a school)
class monitor
group leader; team leader
long
to grow up; to develop
to grow up
team captain
to grow; to increase
to grow up; growth
director; head (of an institute or office)
to grow
minister
the Great Wall
strength; strong point
long-term; long-lasting
to extend, to prolong
long-distance
factory director
group leader
bureau director
long and drawn-out, prolonged
longevity, to live long
length
president, chairperson (of a club, association)
chief director-general
division chief, department head
ship captain
long-lasting, enduring
long holiday
unexpected mishap, accident
(n) long-distance running; (v) to run a marathon
long-term, long-range
A special skill or talent (that one possesses).
now long now short, uneven
everlasting, eternally enduring
specialty, area of expertise
slender, slim (usually used for body shape, fingers, etc.)
full length
lengthy; long-winded; tedious
born and raised in a place (usually refers to one's hometown or locality)
As enduring as heaven and earth; everlasting, eternal.
Why learn vocabulary by the 长 radical?
The 长 radical hints at the meaning long; to grow. When you meet an unfamiliar character carrying it, you already know part of its meaning before reaching for a dictionary — which is why learners who know their radicals move faster.
How to study: read the memory hook, skim the 1 characters to spot the pattern, then drill the 55 words with flashcards. Spaced repetition brings each word back exactly when you need it.