How to Write 肠 (cháng) — Meaning “Intestine; gut.”

Think of a sausage (香肠), which is a long piece of meat. The left side ⺼ is the meat, and the right side 长 looks like a long shape — just like a sausage or an intestine.

The radical ⺼ (three strokes: left-falling, then two horizontal strokes) should be narrow, not wide like the moon radical 月. The right part 长 has seven strokes total — write the horizontal stroke first, then the vertical stroke, and finally the right-falling stroke and the dot.

㐆 is very rare and usually means "to follow" or is used in ancient names; it has no meat radical. 肝 (gān) means "liver" — its right side is 干 (dry), not 长. So 肠 is specifically the intestine, while 肝 is a different internal organ.

You will see 肠 in food names like 香肠 (sausage) and 肠粉 (rice noodle roll, a popular Cantonese breakfast). It also appears in health contexts, for example 肠胃 (stomach and intestines), when talking about digestion or upset stomach.

Common words containing 肠 include: 香肠 (xiāng cháng) — sausage; 肠胃 (cháng wèi) — Stomach and intestines; digestive system.; 肠粉 (cháng fěn) — Rice noodle roll (a Cantonese dish)..