How to Write 塘 (táng) — Meaning “pond”

Think of the sound "táng" like "tank" — a pond is like a water tank made of earth. Visualize the left radical 土 as soil and the right part 唐 as a tank shape, so the whole character means "earth tank" or pond.

Keep the left 土 narrow and the right 唐 wider — the bottom of both parts should align. A common mistake is writing the right side 唐 with an extra stroke: remember it has exactly 10 strokes, starting with a dot, then horizontal, left-falling, and the inner part has two verticals and two horizontals.

塘 means "pond" and is used for bodies of water, while 埝 (niàn) is a rare character for a small earth dike or path between fields. 域 (yù) means "territory" or "region" and is common in formal words like 区域. Visually, 塘 has 唐 on the right, 埝 has 念, and 域 has 或.

塘 appears in everyday words like 池塘 (pond), 鱼塘 (fish pond), and 水塘 (water pond), often describing small artificial bodies of water in gardens or farms. It is also found in place names such as 塘沽 in Tianjin, reflecting the cultural importance of ponds in Chinese agriculture and landscape design.

Common words containing 塘 include: 池塘 (chí táng) — Pond; 鱼塘 (yú táng) — Fish pond; 水塘 (shuǐ táng) — Pond.