How to Write 嫦 (cháng) — Meaning “moon goddess (used in names)”

Imagine a woman (女) named Chang who is constantly (常) on the moon. The picture of a female figure staying forever in the sky can help you associate 嫦 with the moon goddess Chang'e.

Write the left radical 女 first with its 3 strokes—watch that the final horizontal stroke is short. Then write the right part 常 starting with the ⺌ (small) component, followed by 冖 (cover) and ending with 巾 (towel). A common mistake is to write the top of 常 like the character 小 instead of ⺌, so remember the left dot is missing.

婷 (tíng) means graceful or elegant and is used in girl names, while 婺 (wù) refers to the Wù star or a county name—neither has a connection to the moon. In contrast, 嫦 is specifically tied to the moon goddess Chang'e. Visually, 婷 has 亭 (pavilion) on top, 婺 has 敄 (spear + strike), and 嫦 has 常 (constant).

嫦 appears almost exclusively in the name 嫦娥 (Chang'e), the Chinese moon goddess, and in related terms like 嫦娥一号 (the lunar probe) or 嫦娥舞 (a traditional dance). It is not used in everyday conversation but is culturally significant due to mythology and China's space program.

Common words containing 嫦 include: 嫦娥 (cháng é) — Chang'e (the Chinese Moon Goddess); 嫦娥一号 (cháng é yī hào) — Chang'e 1 (lunar probe); 嫦娥舞 (cháng é wǔ) — Chang'e dance.