How to Write 戗 (qiāng/qiàng) — Meaning “To go against; to clash”

Imagine a spear (戈) pushing against a granary (仓) — that is "going against" the grain. This visual of a spear clashing with a building helps recall the meaning of opposing or clashing.

Write the left side 仓 first with its hook stroke at the bottom, then the right side 戈. A common mistake is writing the left part too wide or forgetting the hook on 仓, which makes it look like a different character.

戗 is left-right with 仓 on the left, while 威 has 女 under a roof-like 戊 and 戌 is a single component with a horizontal line inside 戊. Also, 戗 is pronounced qiāng, not wēi or xū.

戗 appears in words like 戗风 (headwind) and 戗面 (firm steamed bread). The cooking term 戗面 is common in northern China, where extra flour is kneaded into dough for a denser texture.

Common words containing 戗 include: 戗风 (qiāng fēng) — Against the wind; headwind; 戗面 (qiàng miàn) — Firm steamed bread (made with extra flour); 戗茬 (qiāng chá) — Against the grain.