杖 (zhàng) - A staff, cane, or stick & a rod used for support, punishment, or ceremonial

杖Tone 4

zhàng ｜ 7 strokes ｜ radical: 木

丈志

杖 · zhàng

A staff, cane, or stick;

a rod used for support, punishment, or ceremonial purposes;

to rely on or support oneself with.

A staff, cane, or sticka rod used for support, punishment, or ceremonialto rely on or support oneself with.

Usage highlights

Walking stickStaff of authorityBuddhist staffCaning punishmentTo lean on a stickMagic wand

Synonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The old man walks with a cane (拐杖).
  • Buddhist monks carry a staff (锡杖).
  • In ancient times, corporal punishment was administered with a rod (杖刑).
  • He leans on a walking stick for support (拄着拐杖).

Collocations

  • Walking stick(拐杖)
  • Staff of authority(权杖)
  • Buddhist staff(锡杖)
  • Caning punishment(杖刑)
  • To lean on a stick(拄杖)
  • Magic wand(魔杖)

Idioms

  • To rely on power and bully others(杖势欺人)
  • To lean on a staff and gaze into the distance(杖策远眺)
  • To punish with the rod(杖责)
  • The staff of age(杖朝之年)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese culture, staffs were symbols of authority and age, with specific types granted to elders at different milestone birthdays.
  • The character appears in Buddhist context as the 'khakkhara' or monk's staff (锡杖), one of the eighteen possessions of a Buddhist monk.
  • Historically used in judicial punishment as 'caning' (杖刑), one of the five punishments in imperial China.

FAQ