How to Write 膛 (táng) — Meaning “chest; cavity; chamber”

Imagine a "tang" (堂) shaped like a hall inside your body, where your organs live. The radical 月 (flesh) reminds you it is part of the body. So 膛 is the "body hall"—your chest cavity.

The right part 堂 has a 尚 on top and 土 below; be careful not to forget the small horizontal stroke in 尚. The left radical 月 should be narrow, and the whole character is balanced—avoid making the 月 too wide. Also, the last stroke of 土 is a horizontal line, not a dot.

朦 (méng) has the 月 radical but a different right side (蒙), and it means "dim" or "hazy," often used in 朦胧 (dim moonlight). 腠 (còu) also uses 月 but with 奏 on the right, and it refers to the interstices of skin or muscle (腠理). 膛 specifically means a cavity or chamber, especially the chest cavity.

膛 appears in words like 胸膛 (chest), 炉膛 (firebox of a stove), and 口膛 (mouth cavity). It is a more technical or literary term compared to common words like 胸 (chest). In Chinese martial arts, 胸膛 is often mentioned as a target area, emphasizing protection of the core.

Common words containing 膛 include: 胸膛 (xiōng táng) — chest; thorax; 炉膛 (lú táng) — firebox; stove chamber; 口膛 (kǒu táng) — mouth cavity.