张
surname Zhang; to open up; to spread; sheet of paper
Closest English meanings
open·stretch·Zhang (surname)·spread·post
The Calligrapher — Zhāng Chǎng 张昶
Eastern Han 'second sage' of cursive; younger brother of the 'Sage of Cursive,' Zhang Zhi.
Han calligrapher (), master of clerical cursive — known for 张芝之弟. Han dynasty
Cultural Story
張 is to bend the bow and string it — the drawn weapon, then any spreading open. 張良 was the strategist who bent empires without drawing a blade, and the character kept his reach: to open, to post, to stretch a thing until it shows its full face.
Common words & phrases
- 张开 open · spread · unfold · extend
- 张扬 make public · show off · publicize
- 张望 look around · peer · glance about
- 紧张 nervous · tense · strained · uptight
- 主张 advocate · view · stand · opinion
- 张贴 post up · paste up · put up · placard
Read the story behind the character
紧张 is the sweat before the interview, 张贴 the notice someone tapes to the door, 主张 the opinion a columnist will not soften, 张望 the glance over a crowded platform. The bow is a nerve and a poster now; we still draw things open, often to see what frightens us.
Own this character
Purchase delivers the original SVG of this glyph, brushed by Zhāng Chǎng 张昶, ready to place on skin, paper, or screen.