How to Write 匠 (jiàng) — Meaning “Craftsman / Artisan”

Picture a box (匚) with an axe (斤) inside it — the axe represents the craftsman's main tool. This image helps you remember that 匠 means a person who works skillfully with tools inside a workshop.

Start by writing the outer box 匚: horizontal line, left vertical, bottom horizontal. Then write 斤 inside: a left-falling stroke, two horizontals, and a vertical hook. Make sure the axe fits neatly inside the box without touching the corners.

匠 (jiàng) means craftsman and is common. 匛 (jiù) is an archaic character meaning 'coffin' or 'corpse' and is rarely used. 匝 (zā) means 'circle' or 'circuit' and has 巾 (cloth) inside instead of 斤. The inner component clearly distinguishes them.

匠 appears in common words like 木匠 (carpenter) and 工匠 (artisan). The term 匠心 (jiàng xīn) means ingenuity or original creativity, and is often used to praise artistic or technical skill, reflecting the high cultural respect for craftsmanship in China.

Common words containing 匠 include: 木匠 (mù jiàng) — carpenter; 工匠 (gōng jiàng) — Artisan; craftsman; 匠心 (jiàng xīn) — Ingenuity / Originality.