章
zhāng
In Chinese, the word for "chapter" is 章 (zhāng). Wiktionary also lists 章節 / 章节 (zhāngjié).
Meaning: section in a book (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 章 | zhāng |
| 章節 / 章节 | zhāngjié |
The term is used to denote a section of a book. For example, 第一章 means "Chapter One".
Which one should you use?
章 is typically used when followed by a number, such as in 第一章 (chapter one). In contrast, 章節 or 章节 is a more formal or complete way to refer to a chapter or a section of text as a structural unit.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express "chapter [number]", you must use the pattern 第 (dì) + number + 章.
How do you pronounce it?
zhāng
Did you know?
- The character 章 was originally an ideogram showing a chisel piercing a piece of jade. It was meant to represent the process of treating or carving the stone.
- In the phrase 章法, 章 refers to the composition and layout of a painting or piece of calligraphy. It describes the internal logic and 'grammar' of a visual artwork.
- The word 章 can also refer to a type of formal poem or rhythmic composition. In ancient times, it described the structural patterns of music and verse rather than just prose.
Examples in context
- 請讀第五章。Read chapter five.This sentence is useful for practicing how to request reading a specific chapter using 章.Tatoeba #13206619 by LeviHighway, translation #11887183 by Amastan
- 從第一章開始吧。Let's begin with the first chapter.This sentence shows how to use 章 when starting a text at a certain point.Tatoeba #13532019 by LeviHighway, translation #276047 by CK
- 這個章節是這部小說的核心。This chapter is the heart of the novel.This sentence demonstrates the use of 章節 when referring to a section of a novel.Tatoeba #4262070 by egg0073, translation #980280 by datrukup
- 我读完了这本书的前三章。I've finished the first three chapters of this book.
- 这篇论文包括了五个主要章节。This paper includes five main chapters.
- 我们今天学了第二十节的内容。We learned the content of the twentieth chapter today.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two students are discussing a textbook in the library.
- 浩然 Haoran你讀到第幾章了？Nǐ dú dào dì jǐ zhāng le?Which chapter have you read up to?
- 梓涵 Zihan我剛看完第三章。Wǒ gāng wàn kàn dì sān zhāng.I just finished reading chapter three.
- 浩然 Haoran那一章的內容很難吧？Nà yī zhāng de nèiróng hěn nán ba?The content of that chapter is quite difficult, right?
- 梓涵 Zihan對，我花了很多時間。Duì, wǒ huā le hěn duō shíjiān.Yes, I spent a lot of time on it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chapter” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 章, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
