Chinese Character: 僵
1. Character Basics
Radical: 亻/rén radical (人字旁)
Stroke Count: 15
Stroke Order:
2. Pronunciation
Pinyin: jiāng (first tone)
3. Meaning
stiff, rigid, numb, frozen, deadlocked
4. Common Words
- 僵尸 (jiāng shī) - zombie
- 僵硬 (jiāng yìng) - stiff, rigid
- 僵局 (jiāng jú) - deadlock
- 僵持 (jiāng chí) - to be at a stalemate
- 冻僵 (dòng jiāng) - frozen stiff
- 僵住 (jiāng zhù) - to become stiff, to freeze
5. Grammar & Usage
僵 is often used to describe a state of stiffness, rigidity, or being deadlocked. It is commonly found in compound words such as 僵硬 (stiff), 僵局 (deadlock), and 僵持 (stalemate).
In modern Chinese, 僵尸 (zombie) has become a popular term due to the influence of Western zombie culture, though it originally referred to "stiff corpse" in Chinese folklore.
The character 僵 can also be used in verb phrases, such as 僵住 (to become stiff) or 僵持不下 (to remain deadlocked).
When used to describe a situation, 僵 typically conveys a sense of stagnation or lack of progress, as in 谈判陷入僵局 (Tán pàn xiàn rù jiāng jú) meaning "The negotiations have reached a deadlock."
6. Cultural Background
In Chinese folklore, 僵尸 (jiāng shī) traditionally refers to a reanimated corpse, often depicted as stiff with outstretched arms, hopping rather than walking. These creatures are said to be created when a person's soul fails to leave the body after death.
The concept of 僵 has also been used metaphorically in Chinese culture to describe situations or relationships that have become stagnant or unproductive, as in the phrase 陷入僵局 (xiàn rù jiāng jú) meaning "to fall into a deadlock."
In traditional Chinese medicine, conditions causing stiffness or numbness are sometimes described using terms containing 僵, reflecting the character's association with loss of flexibility or movement.
More recently, the term 僵尸企业 (jiāng shī qǐ yè) has been used in China to refer to "zombie enterprises" - companies that are insolvent but continue to operate with government support.
7. Example Sentence
句子 (jù zi): 由于长时间保持同一姿势，我的腿都僵了。
Pronunciation (pīn yīn): Yóu yú cháng shí jiān bǎo chí tóng yī zī shì, wǒ de tuǐ dōu jiāng le.
Translation (fān yì): My legs became stiff from maintaining the same position for a long time.
8. Memory Tips
The character 僵 consists of 亻 (rén, person) on the left and 畺 (jiāng) on the right. The left side suggests a person, while the right side serves as a phonetic component.
To remember this character, think of a person (亻) who has become stiff or frozen (僵). You can imagine someone standing so still they appear rigid or even like a zombie (僵尸).
Another way to remember: The right side 畺 looks like two fields (田) separated by a boundary. Imagine a person (亻) standing rigidly between two fields, unable to move - that's 僵!