How to Write 蒋 (jiǎng) — Meaning “Jiang (a common surname)”

Imagine a grassy field (艹) where a general (将) is standing — this general's surname is Jiang. The grass on top of the general helps you recall the top part of the character.

Write the grass radical 艹 first with three strokes (horizontal, vertical, left-falling), then the lower part 将 which has nine strokes. A common mistake is making the grass radical too wide; keep it narrow and centered above the lower part.

蒋 has the grass radical on top and the phonetic component 将, meaning it is a surname. 荷 (hé) has a different bottom part 何 and means "lotus." 荸 (bí) has bottom 孛 and refers to the water chestnut plant. The visual difference is the bottom component.

蒋 is a common Chinese surname, ranking among the top 50. You use it in formal address like 蒋老师 (Teacher Jiang) or 蒋先生 (Mr. Jiang). A famous historical figure is Chiang Kai-shek (蒋介石), so the surname carries political associations in some contexts.

Common words containing 蒋 include: 蒋老师 (jiǎng lǎo shī) — Teacher Jiang; 姓蒋 (xìng jiǎng) — Surname Jiang; 蒋先生 (jiǎng xiān shēng) — Mr. Jiang.