How to Write 仗 (zhàng) — Meaning “To rely on; weapon; battle”

Picture a person (亻) holding a very long weapon that is ten feet (丈) long, ready for battle. This image helps you recall both the pronunciation zhàng and the meanings 'weapon' and 'battle'. Alternatively, think of relying on a ten‑foot staff for support to remember 'to rely on'.

First write the left radical 亻: down‑left stroke (撇), then vertical line (竖). Then write 丈: horizontal stroke (横), followed by left‑falling (撇) and finally right‑falling (捺). A common mistake is making the 亻 too wide or mixing up the order of the strokes in 丈; the 捺 should extend outward to balance the character.

仗 (zhàng) has the right part 丈 (with a horizontal and two diagonal strokes), while 亿 (yì) has a simple hook shape (乙) and 什 (shí) has a cross (十). The meanings are completely different: 仗 relates to battle or relying, 亿 means 'one hundred million', and 什 means 'ten' or 'mixed'. Visually, the right side of 仗 is more complex and wider.

仗 appears in common words like 打仗 (to fight a battle), 仗势 (to rely on one's influence, often with a negative connotation), and 胜仗 (victorious battle). It is not in the HSK list, so learners may meet it in news, history, or literature. A related cultural expression is 仗义 (to uphold justice), though less common in daily speech.

Common words containing 仗 include: 打仗 (dǎ zhàng) — to fight a battle; to go to war; 仗势 (zhàng shì) — To rely on one's power or influence; 胜仗 (shèng zhàng) — Victorious battle.