梁 (liáng) - Liang — refers to a beam, bridge, or & also a surname and historical state name

梁Tone 2

liáng ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

树楠

梁 · liáng

Liang — refers to a beam, bridge, or ridge;

also a surname and historical state name;

used metaphorically for something that supports or connects.

Liang — refers to a beam, bridge, oralso a surname and historical state nameused metaphorically for something that supports or connects.

Usage highlights

Roof beamBridgeBeam of lightLiang surnameMountain ridgeBeam structure

Synonyms

  • 桥— bridge (more common for physical bridges)
  • 栋— ridgepole (specifically the main beam)

Antonyms

  • 柱— pillar/column (vertical support vs. horizontal beam)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The roof beam supports the house (房梁).
  • We crossed the bridge over the river (桥梁).
  • Liang is a common Chinese surname (梁姓).
  • The mountain ridge was covered in fog (山梁).

Collocations

  • Roof beam(房梁)
  • Bridge(桥梁)
  • Beam of light(光束梁)
  • Liang surname(梁姓)
  • Mountain ridge(山梁)
  • Beam structure(梁结构)

Idioms

  • Stealing the beam and replacing the pillar(偷梁换柱)
  • Climbing the roof and removing the beams(上屋抽梯)
  • Carving the boat to seek the sword (刻舟求剑) - though not containing 梁, conceptually related to bridges

Cultural background

FAQ
  • As a surname, Liang ranks among the top 20 most common Chinese surnames with millions of bearers.
  • Historically refers to the Liang dynasty (502-557 CE) during the Southern and Northern Dynasties period.
  • In architecture, beams represent structural support and stability in traditional Chinese building design.

FAQ