How to Write 铮 (zhēng) — Meaning “Clang; upright”

Imagine a metal (钅) sword being used in a fierce competition (争) — the clash produces a loud ‘zhēng’ clang. This combines the metal radical with the idea of striving to remind you of its meaning.

Pay attention to the balance: the left radical 钅 is narrow, while the right part 争 is slightly wider. The top stroke of 争 is a short horizontal, followed by a long horizontal; be careful not to make the two horizontal strokes equal in length. Also, the final vertical stroke of 争 should extend below the base line of the left radical.

铮 (zhēng) means 'clang' or 'upright', while 钙 (gài) means 'calcium' and 钚 (bù) means 'plutonium'. Visually, 铮 has 争 on the right, 钙 has 丐 (beggar), and 钚 has 不 (no). Their uses are completely different — 铮 appears in literary or descriptive words, while 钙 and 钚 are chemical elements.

铮 is used in words like 铮亮 (shiny, as in a polished metal surface) and 铮铮 (clanging, or describing a firm character). It appears in the idiom 铁骨铮铮, which praises someone’s unyielding integrity — a common cultural expression in literature and speeches.

Common words containing 铮 include: 铮亮 (zhēng liàng) — Shiny; glistening; 铮铮 (zhēng zhēng) — Clanging; upright and unyielding; 铁骨铮铮 (tiě gǔ zhēng zhēng) — unyielding character.