How to Write 胀 (zhàng) — Meaning “Bloated / Distended”

Imagine your stomach (the ⺼ radical) growing longer (长) because you ate too much, making it feel bloated. This visual links the two parts directly to the meaning of being swollen or distended.

Write the left radical ⺼ first with three strokes (vertical, horizontal, vertical), keeping it narrow. Then write the right side 长: start with a vertical stroke, then horizontal, then a vertical hook, and finish with a left-falling stroke—making sure the bottom of 长 is roughly level with the bottom of ⺼.

Both 胀 and 肝 share the ⺼ radical, but 肝 uses 干 (gān, dry) on the right and means "liver," while 胀 uses 长 (zhǎng) and means "bloated." Visually, 胀 has more strokes on the right (4 strokes) compared to 肝 (3 strokes for 干), and the meanings are completely different.

胀 is commonly used in medical contexts, such as 肚子胀 (dǔ zi zhàng) for a bloated stomach, and in economics like 通货膨胀 (tōng huò péng zhàng) for inflation. It also appears in 胀痛 (zhàng tòng) to describe a distending pain, often linked to feeling of pressure or swelling in traditional Chinese medicine.

Common words containing 胀 include: 肚子胀 (dǔ zi zhàng) — Bloated stomach.; 膨胀 (péng zhàng) — to expand; to swell; inflation; 胀痛 (zhàng tòng) — Distending pain.