常
常 (cháng) means “often”. It is made of 尚 + 巾 and has 11 strokes, and is an HSK 3 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
Break 常 into its parts
What 常 is made of
- 尚 shàng — still
- ⺌ — structural part
- 冂 — frame
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 口 kǒu — mouth
- 冂 — frame
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 巾 jīn — cloth
- 冂 — frame
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 冂 — frame
Origin hint: 巾 gives the meaning, 尚 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
常 stroke order
Example sentences
我常去书店。Wǒ cháng qù shūdiàn.I often go to the bookshop.
你常来这儿吗？Nǐ cháng lái zhèr ma?Do you come here often?
Words with 常
- 常常chángchángoften
- 非常fēichángvery
- 常见chángjiàncommon
- 常用chángyòngcommonly used
- 经常jīngchángoften
- 平常píngchángusually
- 正常zhèngchángnormal
- 日常rìchángdaily
- 通常tōngchángusually
- 常识chángshícommon sense
- 照常zhàochángas usual
- 反常fǎnchángunusual
- 家常jiāchánghome-style
- 时常shíchángoften
- 往常wǎngchángusual
- 异常yìchángunusual
- 知足常乐zhīzúchánglècontentment brings happiness
Also built with 尚
- 倘tǎngif
- 党dǎngpolitical party
- 堂tánghall
- 尝chángto taste
- 掌zhǎngin charge
- 敞chǎngwide
- 裳shangskirt
- 赏shǎngto enjoy (flowers, the moon)
- 趟tàngmeasure word for trips
- 躺tǎngto lie down
Quick facts
| Pinyin | cháng |
|---|---|
| Meaning | often |
| Strokes | 11 |
| Radical | 巾 (turban, #50) |
| Pattern | Top–bottom |
| HSK | HSK 3 (exam 2025) · HSK 1 (2021) |
Questions about 常
What does 常 mean?
常 (cháng) means “often”.
How many strokes does 常 have?
常 has 11 strokes.
What is the radical of 常?
The radical of 常 is 巾 (jīn, “turban”), Kangxi radical number 50.
What parts make up 常?
常 is made of 尚 (still) and 巾 (cloth).
Which HSK level is 常?
常 is in HSK 3 (exam 2025) and HSK 1 (2021).
Learn 常 with its group
It is part of HSK 1 (2021) · Group 43: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.