缸

gāng
noun HSK 7-9 #13,648

Measure Word

一口缸 kǒu

Meanings

  1. 1 jar; vat; crock
  2. 2 cylinder (in an engine)

Examples

HSK 4
Yuànzi lǐ yǒu yī kǒu dà shuǐgāng.
There is a big water vat in the yard.

Tips

usage
缸 also appears in compound nouns: 鱼缸 (fish tank), 水缸 (water vat), 气缸 (cylinder/piston). The measure word 口 is used because vats have an opening (mouth).

Components

radical
缶 fǒu
earthen jar; pottery
Left earthen-jar radical - pictograph of a wide-bellied pottery vessel with a lid. The indexing radical: 缸 names exactly that kind of vessel, a clay vat or crock for storing water, grain, or wine. Same pottery family: 罐 jar, 缺 chipped (originally a broken vessel), 罄 emptied jar.
phonetic
工 gōng
work; craft (phonetic)
Right 工 supplies the sound - gōng drifting to gāng with tone change. 工 pictures a carpenter's square. Same phonetic family: 江 jiāng, 红 hóng, 项 xiàng, 杠 gàng - chars where 工 carries the sound. The artisan meaning is just background.

Stroke Order

缸 gāng