Back

On'yomi
チョウ
CHOU
Kun'yomi
なが.い・おさ
nagai / osa

long · leader · superior · senior

wisdom

Details

Strokes8
Frequency#12
Radicallong(8)

Stroke Order

Loading...
Strokes8

Cultural Context

Etymology

Shape of elder with long hair. Or represents something long.

Symbolism

Length, seniority, leader. '長' used in titles showing respect.

Words & Expressions

Four-Character Compounds

意味深長

いみしんちょう

with profound (and often hidden) meaning; pregnant with significance; meaningful; with profound (and often hidden) meaning

一長一短

いっちょういったん

(something having its) merits and demerits; advantages and disadvantages; good points and shortcomings; (something having its) merits and demerits

天長地久

てんちょうちきゅう

coeval with heaven and earth; coeval with heaven and earth

安定成長

あんていせいちょう

stable growth; stable growth

長身痩躯

ちょうしんそうく

tall and lean figure; tall and slender figure; tall and lean figure

飛耳長目

ひじちょうもく

sharp eyes and ears used for collecting information far and wide; having the acumen and shrewd discernment gained by widely-collected information; being well-versed on a subject; sharp eyes and ears used for collecting information far and wide

不老長寿

ふろうちょうじゅ

perpetual youth and longevity; perpetual youth and longevity

武運長久

ぶうんちょうきゅう

continued luck in the fortunes of war; continued luck in the fortunes of war

蜿蜿長蛇

えんえんちょうだ

long and serpentine (line, queue, etc.); long and serpentine (line, queue, etc.)

重厚長大

じゅうこうちょうだい

heavy, thick, long, and big (products, esp. industrial); massive and heavy; heavy (industry); heavy, thick, long, and big (products, esp. industrial)

長汀曲浦

ちょうていきょくほ

long stretch of winding beach; long stretch of winding beach

天地長久

てんちちょうきゅう

heaven and earth are eternal; heaven and earth are eternal

無明長夜

むみょうじょうや

the long night of spiritual darkness; the long night of spiritual darkness

採長補短

さいちょうほたん

compensating for one's shortcomings by incorporating others' strong points; compensating for one's shortcomings by incorporating others' strong points

不老長生

ふろうちょうせい

perpetual youth and longevity; long life without growing old; perpetual youth and longevity

Proverbs & Idioms

長い物には巻かれろ

ながいものにはまかれろ

Wrap yourself around long things

Don't fight against those in power

長者の万灯より貧者の一灯

ちょうじゃのまんとうよりひんじゃのいっとう

One lamp from the poor is better than ten thousand from the rich

A small gift given with heart is more valuable

Poetry

和歌(百人一首) (Waka (Hyakunin Isshu))

今こむと 言ひしばかりに 長月の 有明の月を 待ちいでつるかな

Poem #21 from Hyakunin Isshu

素性法師Sosei Hōshi
9th century
和歌(百人一首) (Waka (Hyakunin Isshu))

君がため 惜しからざりし 命さへ 長くもがなと 思ひけるかな

Poem #50 from Hyakunin Isshu

藤原義孝Fujiwara no Yoshitaka
10th century
和歌(百人一首) (Waka (Hyakunin Isshu))

長からむ 心も知らず 黒髪の 乱れてけさは 物をこそ思へ

Poem #80 from Hyakunin Isshu

待賢門院堀河待賢門院堀河
Unknown