How to Write 葬 (zàng) — Meaning “to bury / funeral”

Imagine grass (艹) growing over a dead person (死) while two hands (廾) are digging the grave. This picture of covering the deceased with earth and grass helps link the character to the meaning "to bury" or "funeral."

Pay attention to the middle part 死: it has 6 strokes and sits between the grass and the two hands. The bottom 廾 should be written wider than the top grass to balance the character. A common mistake is making the 死 too tall or the 廾 too narrow.

葬 means "to bury" and contains 死 (death), while 荷 means "lotus" and has the phonetic 何 inside. 荸 refers to the water chestnut plant. Visually, 葬 has the extra 死 and 廾 parts, whereas 荷 and 荸 have different inner components like 何 and 孛.

葬 is used in words like 葬礼 (funeral ceremony) and 火葬 (cremation). It is a formal character for burial-related situations and appears in news or legal documents. Culturally, Chinese funerals involve rituals like 埋葬 (burial) and respect for ancestors, so this character carries a solemn tone.

Common words containing 葬 include: 葬礼 (zàng lǐ) — funeral; 埋葬 (mái zàng) — to bury; 火葬 (huǒ zàng) — Cremation.