How to Write 郑 (zhèng) — Meaning “Zheng (a surname)”

Think of "big brother (关) standing by the city wall (阝)" to recall the left side as "guan" and the right as the city radical. Another way: imagine a solemn (郑重) person named Zheng who lives near a city gate. This links the shape to its common word 郑重.

The left component 关 has three horizontal strokes: the top one is short, the middle is longest, and the bottom one is also short but slanted slightly upward. The right radical 阝 (ear shape) has two strokes — first a curved hook downward, then a vertical line. Do not make the left side too wide; keep it balanced.

郑 (zhèng) uses the left part 关, while 邠 (bīn) has 分 on the left and 邡 (fāng) has 方 on the left. All share the 阝 radical, but their left components are completely different, giving each a unique pronunciation and meaning. 郑 is a common surname; 邠 and 邡 are rare place names.

郑 is most commonly used as a Chinese surname, like in the historical figure Zheng He (郑和). It also appears in the name of the city 郑州 (Zhengzhou), the capital of Henan province. The word 郑重 (solemn) is a common expression used in formal situations to mean "serious and sincere."

Common words containing 郑 include: 郑重 (zhèng zhòng) — Serious / Solemn; 郑先生 (zhèng xiān shēng) — Mr. Zheng; 郑州 (zhèng zhōu) — Zhengzhou.