How to Write 娼 (chāng) — Meaning “prostitute”

Imagine a woman (女) standing under a bright sun (昌) — the sun shines on her, but she is associated with a sad profession. Think of 'chāng' sounding like 'chang'' in 'change' — a woman who changes partners for money.

Write 女 first (three strokes: left, right, and the horizontal slash), then 昌 on the right. 昌 is composed of two 日 stacked — be careful to make each 日 about the same size and keep the vertical strokes straight. A common mistake is making the right side too wide; keep it narrow to balance with the left radical.

娼 is used in formal or historical contexts, often in words like 娼妓 (prostitution) or 娼妇 (prostitute). It is considered a strong negative term and is rarely used in daily conversation — instead, euphemisms like 小姐 or more modern terms are preferred. The character carries a stigma, so learners should use it with caution and understand its offensive potential.

Common words containing 娼 include: 娼妓 (chāng jì) — prostitute; prostitution; 娼妇 (chāng fù) — prostitute; 宿娼 (sù chāng) — To visit prostitutes.