枪 (qiāng) — gun, firearm, rifle; spear (ancient weapon); object shaped like a gun (e.g., toy gun, spray gun)
Definition
Means a gun or firearm today; 枪 once meant 'spear' in ancient China (as in 古代). The verb sense ('to knock / substitute for someone') is not standard at HSK 6.
noun
gunfirearmriflespear (ancient weapon)object shaped like a gun (e.g., toy gun, spray gun)
Measure word · 支, 把, 杆, 条, 枝
Examples
- 枪。Tā shǒu lǐ wò zhe yì zhī qiāng.He is holding a gun in his hand.
- 枪。Gǔ dài rén yòng qiāng hé dùn zhàn dòu.Ancient people fought with spears and shields.
- 枪。Xiǎo hái mǎi le yì zhī wán jù qiāng.The child bought a toy gun.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 槍; 枪 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
倉
倉cāng槍qiāng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 槍 pairs 木 (wood) with 倉 as a sound part; the simplified 枪 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the historical component.
Appears in
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