How to Write 场 (cháng/chǎng) — Meaning “Field / Place / Market”

Imagine a flat field of earth (土) with two small hills (the two slashes on the right) and a flat path (the horizontal hook) crossing them. This picture of a country field helps you recall that 场 means 'field' or 'place'. You can also think of the right part as a person (like two legs) standing on the ground.

Write the left radical 土 first: horizontal, vertical, then a lift stroke that angles upward. Then write the right side as one stroke: horizontal fold hook, followed by two left-falling strokes. A common mistake is to add a 日 (sun) on top of the right side – 场's right side has no 日, just a hook and two slashes.

The character 圣 (shèng, holy) has 又 (hand) on top of 土, so it looks like a stack, while 场 is left-right with a hook shape on the right. 圤 (pǔ, rare) has 卜 (divination) on the right instead of 场's hook and slashes. In meaning, 场 is always about a physical place, while 圣 is about holiness and 圤 is uncommon.

场 is used in many common words for specific places: 机场 (airport), 商场 (shopping mall), 广场 (public square). A cultural note: 广场舞 (guǎng chǎng wǔ), or square dancing, is a popular group exercise activity held in public squares across China. The character also appears in 一场 (a match or event), like 一场比赛 (a game).

Common words containing 场 include: 机场 (jī chǎng) — airport; 商场 (shāng chǎng) — shopping mall / market / business world; 广场 (guǎng chǎng) — public square; plaza.