昌

昌 U+660C, 昌 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-660C ← 昋 [U+660B] CJK Unified Ideographs 昍 → [U+660D]

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

昌 (Kangxi radical 72, 日+4, 8 strokes, Cangjie input 日日 (AA), four-corner 6060₀, composition ⿱日曰)

Derived characters

• 倡, 唱, 猖, 淐, 娼, 琩, 椙, 晿, 焻, 錩, 誯, 𰎅, 𣣘, 焻, 𤏒, 菖, 䅛, 𬕑, 𬗡, 𪣧, 𪉨(𬸶), 𥓥, 裮, 𢃑, 𥚕, 閶(阊), 䮖, 猖, 䗉, 鯧(鲳), 𪂇, 𥫅

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 491, character 10
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 13803
• Dae Jaweon: page 852, character 16
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1490, character 3
• Unihan data for U+660C

Chinese

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 昌
Shang	Spring and Autumn	Warring States		Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)		Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Qin slip script	Shizhoupian script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (昌) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
昌	*tʰjaŋ
倡	*tʰjaŋ, *tʰjaŋs
猖	*tʰjaŋ
菖	*tʰjaŋ
閶	*tʰjaŋ
鯧	*tʰjaŋ
裮	*tʰjaŋ
琩	*tʰjaŋ
唱	*tʰjaŋs

Ideogrammic compound (會意 / 会意): semantic 日 (“sun”) + semantic 口 (“mouth”). The mouth is a reference to being awakened at dawn through shouts or songs. During the Warring States Period, 口 developed into 曰.

Etymology 1

simp. and trad.		昌
alternative forms		𣅊

昌 (OC khlaŋ ~ thaŋ) is possibly related to 陽 (OC *laŋ), in which case it would go back to *khlaŋ, supported by Proto-Vietic *hlaŋᴮ; note the phonetic parallelism with 唱 (OC k-hlaŋh) (Schuessler, 2007).

See 陽／阳 (yáng) for further etymology.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): chāng (chang¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄔㄤ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): cang¹

  (Xi'an, Guanzhong Pinyin): chàng

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): coeng¹

  (Dongguan, Jyutping++): coeng¹

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): ciang¹

• Gan (Wiktionary): cong¹
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): chhông

  (Hailu, HRS): chong^ˋ / cong^ˋ

  (Meixian, Guangdong): cong¹

• Jin (Wiktionary): con¹
• Northern Min (KCR): chióng
• Eastern Min (BUC): chiŏng
• Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): cyorng¹ / cyoeng¹
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): chhiong / chhiang

  (Teochew, Peng'im): ciang¹

  (Leizhou, Leizhou Pinyin): qiang¹

• Wu (Wugniu)
  • (Northern): ¹tshaon / ¹tshan
  • (Jinhua): ¹chiaon
• Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): chan¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: chāng
    • Zhuyin: ㄔㄤ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: chang
    • Wade–Giles: chʻang¹
    • Yale: chāng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chang
    • Palladius: чан (čan)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ⁵⁵/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: cang¹
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: cang
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰaŋ⁵⁵/
  • (Xi'an)
    • Guanzhong Pinyin: chàng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰaŋ⁵³/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: coeng¹
    • Yale: chēung
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tsoeng¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: cêng¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰœːŋ⁵⁵/
  • (Dongguan, Guancheng)
    • Jyutping++: coeng¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰøŋ²¹³/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: ciang¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰiaŋ³³/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: cong¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰɔŋ⁴²/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chhông
    • Hakka Romanization System: cong^ˊ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: cong¹
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰoŋ²⁴/
  • (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
    • Hakka Romanization System: chong^ˋ / cong^ˋ
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡ʃʰoŋ⁵³/, /t͡sʰoŋ⁵³/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: cong¹
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰɔŋ⁴⁴/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: con¹
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /t͡sʰɒ̃¹¹/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: chióng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰiɔŋ⁵⁴/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: chiŏng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰuoŋ⁵⁵/
• Puxian Min
  • (Putian)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: cyorng¹
    • Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: chio̤ng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰyɒŋ⁵³³/
  • (Xianyou)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: cyoeng¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰyøŋ⁵⁴⁴/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chhiong
    • Tâi-lô: tshiong
    • Phofsit Daibuun: chiofng
    • Sinological IPA (Xiamen, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /t͡sʰiɔŋ⁴⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡sʰiɔŋ³³/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chhiang
    • Tâi-lô: tshiang
    • Phofsit Daibuun: chiafng
    • Sinological IPA (Zhangzhou): /t͡sʰiaŋ⁴⁴/

Note: chhiong/chhiang - literary.

• • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: ciang¹
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tshiang
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰiaŋ³³/
  • (Leizhou)
    • Leizhou Pinyin: qiang¹
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰiaŋ³⁵/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai, Jiading, Songjiang, Fuyang, Shaoxing, Ningbo, Zhoushan)
    • Wugniu: ¹tshaon
    • MiniDict: tshaon^平
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹tshaan
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /t͡sʰɑ̃⁵³/
    • Sinological IPA (Jiading): /t͡sʰɑ̃⁵³/
    • Sinological IPA (Songjiang): /t͡sʰɒ̃⁵³/
    • Sinological IPA (Fuyang): /t͡sʰɔ̃⁵³/
    • Sinological IPA (Shaoxing): /t͡sʰɒŋ⁵²/
    • Sinological IPA (Ningbo): /t͡sʰɔ̃⁵²/
    • Sinological IPA (Zhoushan): /t͡sʰɔ⁵³/
  • (Northern: Songjiang, Chongming, Suzhou, Changzhou, Jiaxing, Hangzhou)
    • Wugniu: ¹tshan
    • MiniDict: tshan^平
    • Sinological IPA (Songjiang): /t͡sʰæ̃⁵³/
    • Sinological IPA (Chongming): /t͡sʰã⁵⁵/
    • Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /t͡sʰã⁴⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Changzhou): /t͡sʰaŋ⁵⁵/
    • Sinological IPA (Jiaxing): /t͡sʰã⁵³/
    • Sinological IPA (Hangzhou): /t͡sʰɑŋ³³⁴/
  • (Jinhua)
    • Wugniu: ¹chiaon
    • Sinological IPA (Jinhua): /t͡ɕʰiɑŋ³³⁴/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: chan¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key) (old-style): /ʈ͡ʂʰan³³/
    • Sinological IPA ^(key) (new-style): /t͡sʰan³³/

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• Middle Chinese: tsyhang

Rime
Character	昌
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	昌 (24)
Final (韻)	陽 (105)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	尺良切
Baxter	tsyhang
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/t͡ɕʰɨɐŋ/
Pan Wuyun	/t͡ɕʰiɐŋ/
Shao Rongfen	/t͡ɕʰiɑŋ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/cʰɨaŋ/
Li Rong	/t͡ɕʰiaŋ/
Wang Li	/t͡ɕʰĭaŋ/
Bernhard Karlgren	/t͡ɕʰi̯aŋ/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	chāng
Expected Cantonese Reflex	coeng1

• Old Chinese

  (Zhengzhang): /*tʰjaŋ/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	昌
Reading #	1/1
No.	1249
Phonetic component	昌
Rime group	陽
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	昌
Old Chinese	/*tʰjaŋ/

Definitions

昌

1. (literary, or in compounds) prosperous; flourishing
2. (～州) (historical) Chang Prefecture
3. a surname
4. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) sunlight
5. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) good; proper; right
6. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) beautiful; lovely

Synonyms

• (prosperous):

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• 全盛 (quánshèng)
• 卬卬 (áng'áng) (literary)
• 富強 / 富强 (fùqiáng)
• 富昌 (fùchāng) (literary)
• 富盛 (fùshèng) (literary)
• 強盛 / 强盛 (qiángshèng)
• 昌明 (chāngmíng) (literary, of a government, culture, etc.)
• 昌盛 (chāngshèng)
• 旺盛 (wàngshèng)
• 昌隆 (chānglóng)
• 景氣 / 景气 (jǐngqì)
• 暢旺 / 畅旺 (chàngwàng)
• 條暢 / 条畅 (tiáochàng) (literary)
• 火爆 (huǒbào)
• 紅火 / 红火 (hónghuo) (mainland China)
• 繁榮 / 繁荣 (fánróng)
• 繁盛 (fánshèng)
• 繁華 / 繁华 (fánhuá)
• 繽紛 / 缤纷 (bīnfēn) (literary)
• 興旺 / 兴旺 (xīngwàng)
• 興盛 / 兴盛 (xīngshèng)
• 興隆 / 兴隆 (xīnglóng)
• 茂盛 (màoshèng)
• 蓬勃 (péngbó)
• 蕃昌 (fánchāng) (literary)
• 軫軫 / 轸轸 (zhěnzhěn) (literary)
• 隆昌 (lóngchāng) (literary)
• 隆盛 (lóngshèng)
• 鼎盛 (dǐngshèng)

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “prosperous”):

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• 不景 (bùjǐng) (Hong Kong)
• 不景氣 / 不景气 (bùjǐngqì)
• 低迷 (dīmí)
• 冷淡 (lěngdàn)
• 慘淡 / 惨淡 (cǎndàn)
• 清淡 (qīngdàn)
• 蕭條 / 萧条 (xiāotiáo)

Compounds

• 不昌
• 五世其昌
• 光昌
• 南昌 (Nánchāng)
• 國運昌隆 / 国运昌隆
• 大昌 (Dàchāng)
• 太昌
• 孝昌 (Xiàochāng)
• 宜昌 (Yíchāng)
• 寖明寖昌
• 屯昌 (Túnchāng)
• 平昌 (Píngchāng)
• 幽昌 (yōuchāng)
• 文昌 (Wénchāng)
• 文昌星
• 文昌魚 / 文昌鱼 (wénchāngyú)
• 昌光
• 昌化石 (chānghuàshí)
• 昌大
• 昌容
• 昌平 (Chāngpíng)
• 昌意
• 昌明 (chāngmíng)
• 昌江 (Chāngjiāng)
• 昌盍
• 昌盛 (chāngshèng)
• 昌言 (chāngyán)
• 昌辭 / 昌辞
• 昌達 / 昌达 (Chāngdá)
• 昌隆 (chānglóng)
• 昌黎 (Chānglí)
• 晉昌 / 晋昌 (Jìnchāng)
• 東昌 / 东昌 (Dōngchāng)
• 東昌紙 / 东昌纸
• 梁昌
• 樂昌破鏡 / 乐昌破镜
• 武昌 (Wǔchāng)
• 武昌剩竹
• 武昌起義 / 武昌起义 (Wǔchāng Qǐyì)
• 永昌 (yǒngchāng)
• 泰昌 (Tàichāng)
• 繁昌 (fánchāng)
• 繁榮昌盛 / 繁荣昌盛
• 蕃昌 (fánchāng)
• 西昌 (Xīchāng)
• 許昌 / 许昌 (Xǔchāng, “Xuchang”)
• 金昌 (Jīnchāng)
• 阿昌族 (Āchāngzú)
• 隆昌 (lóngchāng)
• 順我者昌，逆我者亡 / 顺我者昌，逆我者亡 (shùn wǒ zhě chāng, nì wǒ zhě wáng)

Etymology 2

simp. and trad.		昌
alternative forms		腔

Pronunciation

• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): chhiuⁿ / chhioⁿ

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• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Lukang, Sanxia, Yilan, Kinmen, Magong, Hsinchu, Taichung)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chhiuⁿ
    • Tâi-lô: tshiunn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: chviw
    • Sinological IPA (Xiamen, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Yilan, Kinmen): /t͡sʰiũ⁴⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Quanzhou, Lukang): /t͡sʰiũ³³/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, Tainan)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chhioⁿ
    • Tâi-lô: tshionn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: chvioy
    • Sinological IPA (Zhangzhou, Tainan): /t͡sʰiɔ̃⁴⁴/

Definitions

昌

1. (Hokkien, in compounds) facial expression

Compounds

• 張昌 / 张昌
• 激面昌
• 面昌

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): chàng (chang⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄔㄤˋ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: chàng
    • Zhuyin: ㄔㄤˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: chàng
    • Wade–Giles: chʻang⁴
    • Yale: chàng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chanq
    • Palladius: чан (čan)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ⁵¹/

Definitions

昌

1. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) alternative form of 倡 (“to initiate; to propose”)
2. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) alternative form of 唱 (chàng, “to chant; to recite”)

Compounds

• 昌導 / 昌导 (chàngdǎo)
• 昌言 (chàngyán)
• 昌誦 / 昌诵 (chàngsòng)

References

• “昌”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[1], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
• 莆田市荔城区档案馆 [Putian City Licheng District Archives], editor (2022), “昌”, in 莆仙方言文读字汇 [Puxian Dialect Literary Reading Dictionary] (overall work in Mandarin and Puxian Min), page 26.

Japanese

Kanji

昌

(Jinmeiyō kanji)

1. good
2. prosper
3. bright, shining, unobscured

Readings

• Go-on: しょう (shō)^{←しやう (syau, historical)}
• Kan-on: しょう (shō)^{←しやう (syau, historical)}
• Kun: さかん (sakan, 昌ん)
• Nanori: まさ (masa)、あき (aki)、よし (yoshi)、まさし (masashi)、あきら (akira)、さかえ (sakae)、あつ (atsu)、すけ (suke)

Compounds

• 昌(しょう)運(うん) (shōun)
• 昌(しょう)盛(せい) (shōsei)
• 盛(せい)昌(しょう) (seishō)
• 隆(りゅう)昌(しょう) (ryūshō)
• 繁(はん)昌(じょう) (hanjō)
• 昌(しょう)言(げん) (shōgen)

Korean

Hanja

昌 (eumhun 창성할 창 (changseonghal chang))

1. prosperity, flourishing, thriving

Vietnamese

Han character

昌: Hán Việt readings: xương
昌: Nôm readings: xương, xang

1. chữ Nôm form of xang (“used in xênh xang (“stylish, dapper, fashionable”)”)
2. chữ Nôm form of xương (“bone”)
   • 12th or 15th century, 佛說大報父母恩重經 [Phật thuyết đại báo phụ mẫu ân trọng kinh]‎^[2], page 29b:

     車列分索，𦛌胣昌舌吕涅珊索。

     Xe sắt phân tách, ruột dạ xương thịt rữa nát tan tác.

     The iron cart tore [their bodies] apart, [leaving their] guts, bones, and flesh rotting and scattered.

   • 1774, “南昌女子傳 [Nam Xương nữ tử truyện, The Story of the Woman in Nam Xương]”, in 新編傳奇漫錄增補解音集註 [Tân biên Truyền kỳ mạn lục tăng bổ giải âm tập chú, Newly Edited Collection of Truyền kỳ mạn lục with Supplemented Annotations, Phonetic Explanations, and Collected Notes]‎^[3], volume 4, page 13a:

     油拯𡗶𤐝所信，渃拯𫜵害，時骸𦹳昌玉㐌塟𠓨蒸䏾亇󰡎滝。

     Dẫu chẳng trời soi thửa tin, nước chẳng làm hại, thời hài thơm xương ngọc đã táng vào chưng bụng cá dưới sông.

     If Heaven had not illuminated her sincerity, and if the waters had not harmed her, then her fragrant remains and her jade bones would have already been buried inside the belly of a river fish.

   • 1930, 春香詩集 [Xuân Hương thi tập, Poetry Collection of (Hồ) Xuân Hương]‎^[4], page 6b:

     稔昌󰡎坦珠眉哭
     丸𧖱𨕭𢬣𠲶𠰘唭

     Nắm xương dưới đất chau mày khóc,
     Hòn máu trên tay mỉm miệng cười.

     A handful of bones on the ground frowned and cried.
     A drop of blood in his hand smiled faintly.

Compounds

• 昌𬴑 (xương sống)
• 生昌 (xênh xang)
• 𩛄𥽪固昌 (bánh đúc có xương)