How to Write 脏 (zāng/zàng) — Meaning “dirty; internal organs”

Imagine a piece of meat (⺼) lying in a village (庄) and getting covered in mud and dirt. This visual of a dirty piece of meat helps you recall both that 脏 means 'dirty' and that the left radical relates to flesh or organs.

Pay attention to the right part 庄: the top is 广 (a slanting roof) and below is 土 (earth), not 士. Also keep the left ⺼ narrow and the right 庄 slightly wider. A common mistake is to make the left radical too big or to forget the dot inside ⺼.

All three share the ⺼ radical, but 脏 has 庄 on the right, 股 has 殳 (a hand holding a weapon), and 肥 has 巴 (a snake). Meaning-wise, 脏 means 'dirty' or 'internal organs', 股 means 'thigh' or 'share of stock', and 肥 means 'fat' or 'fertilizer'. Visually, 脏's right side is wider than 股's narrow 殳.

As zāng, it is very common in daily conversation for anything dirty, like 脏衣服 (dirty clothes) or 脏话 (swear words, literally 'dirty speech'). As zàng, it appears in medical terms like 内脏 (internal organs). Culturally, using 脏话 is considered rude, so learners should avoid it in polite situations.

Common words containing 脏 include: 肮脏 (āng zāng) — dirty; filthy; 脏话 (zāng huà) — swear words; profanity; 内脏 (nèi zàng) — internal organs; viscera.