Details
Stroke Order
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
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
天長地久
てんちょうちきゅう
coeval with heaven and earth
安定成長
あんていせいちょう
stable growth
長身痩躯
ちょうしんそうく
tall and lean figure; tall and slender 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
不老長寿
ふろうちょうじゅ
perpetual youth and longevity
武運長久
ぶうんちょうきゅう
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.)
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)
長汀曲浦
ちょうていきょくほ
long stretch of winding beach
天地長久
てんちちょうきゅう
heaven and earth are eternal
無明長夜
むみょうじょうや
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
不老長生
ふろうちょうせい
perpetual youth and longevity; long life without growing old
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
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
Only because you said you would come at once, I waited through the long ninth month until the dawn moon rose.
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
For your sake I once thought my life not worth keeping. Now I find myself wishing it long.
長からむ 心も知らず 黒髪の 乱れてけさは 物をこそ思へ
I do not know whether your heart will last, and this morning my black hair is as tangled as my thoughts.
Anime & Manga
会長はメイド様!
Maid-Sama!
A well-known work with 長 in its Japanese title.
イジらないで、長瀞さん
DON'T TOY WITH ME, MISS NAGATORO
A well-known work with 長 in its Japanese title.
組長娘と世話係
The Yakuza's Guide to Babysitting
A well-known work with 長 in its Japanese title.
銀魂’延長戦
Gintama Season 2 Part 2
A well-known work with 長 in its Japanese title.
おくさまが生徒会長!
My Wife is the Student Council President
A well-known work with 長 in its Japanese title.
Related Figures & Stories
織田信長
Name contains 長
Oda Nobunaga was a Japanese samurai and daimyō and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods.
Wikipedia支倉常長
Name contains 長
Hasekura Rokuemon Tsunenaga was a kirishitan Japanese samurai and retainer of Date Masamune, the daimyō of Sendai.
Wikipedia長慶天皇
Name contains 長
Emperor Chōkei was the 98th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.
Wikipedia本居宣長
Name contains 長
Motoori Norinaga was a Japanese scholar of Kokugaku active during the Edo period.
WikipediaOther kanji with the same meaning
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 長 mean in Japanese?
長 means long, leader, superior, senior.
How do you read 長?
On'yomi: チョウ (CHOU). Kun'yomi: なが.い、おさ (nagai, osa).
How many strokes does 長 have?
長 has 8 strokes. Its radical is 長 (long).
Is 長 a good kanji for a tattoo?
長 is one of the kanji most often chosen for tattoos. It means long, leader, superior, senior. Read the full meaning and cultural background on this page first — some popular choices are deliberately dark.