How to Write 敞 (chǎng) — Meaning “open / spacious”

Imagine a 'spacious room' (尚 as a roof with an opening) where someone uses a hand (攵) to push the walls outward, making it wider. This visual of pushing open walls reminds you that 敞 means 'open' or 'spacious'.

The left part 尚 is wider than the right 攵, so keep the left side balanced. A common mistake is making the bottom of 尚 too narrow; its bottom enclousre (冂) should be broad. Also, the final stroke of 攵 is a gentle flick to the right, not a straight slash.

敞 (chǎng) means 'open/spacious' and has 尚 on the left; 效 (xiào) means 'effect/imitate' and has 交 (jiāo) on the left; 敉 (mǐ) means 'to pacify' and has 米 (mǐ, rice) on the left. Visually, 尚 has a roof and a mouth-like bottom, while 交 has crossed legs and 米 looks like a rice plant.

敞 appears in common words like 宽敞 (kuān chǎng) for a 'spacious room', 敞开 (chǎng kāi) meaning 'to open wide' like a door or window, and 敞亮 (chǎng liàng) describing a bright, open space or an open-minded person. It's often used for physical space but can also describe a generous heart.

Common words containing 敞 include: 宽敞 (kuān chǎng) — Spacious / Roomy; 敞开 (chǎng kāi) — to open wide; 敞亮 (chǎng liàng) — bright and spacious / open-minded.