# Pronunciation: 长



## yuechu

大家好！
I was watching a Youtube video today where one of the guests' names is "周长娟". Does anyone know how to pronounce the character 长 when it is part of a name?
Thanks!


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## Julia Lilina

I think the pronunciation should be [cháng].


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## hx1997

My first instinct is cháng, but then again, zhǎng is also possible. It really depends on how the person bearing that name himself/herself pronounces it.


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## yuechu

Thank you both for your help!


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## brofeelgood

是李敖的嫩草女友吗？她叫 Zhou1 Chang2 Juan1。

When it's part of a name (person or place), 「长」 is usually pronounced "chang2".
E.g. 关云长，长沙，长春.


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## yuechu

brofeelgood said:


> 是李敖的嫩草女友吗？她叫 Zhou1 Chang2 Juan1。


是的。Thanks, brofeelgood!


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## garbage_cnbeta

应该是读chang2，如果读zhang3，这个名字真的很难读，也不好听。


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## yuechu

Forrest.S said:


> 这个不是中文书面语言，，一般在北方地区街头口语较多。
> 一般是年纪稍长的人，对感觉上比自己小一些的不是特殊熟悉的女性说的，一般常用于超过30岁的人对比自己小的不熟悉的女性。并不限于年纪很大的人。


Another forum member (Forrest.S) posted this message as a reply to the thread about "大妹子". I was wondering, how should 长 be pronounced in this context?
Thanks!


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## SuperXW

yuechu said:


> Another forum member (Forrest.S) posted this message as a reply to the thread about "大妹子". I was wondering, how should 长 be pronounced in this context?
> Thanks!


长 zhang3 as in the word 年长, means "elder" in age.​


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## yuechu

Thanks, SuperXW! So zhǎng 长 can be an adjective too?


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## lekal

yuechu said:


> Thanks, SuperXW! So zhǎng 长 can be an adjective too?


No
It can not be an adjective. 
It can only combine with other word as 词，such as 年长，长辈，学长，长者，军长，etc
Only chang长 can be used as adjective.


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## yuechu

Thanks for your reply, lekal!
"一般是年纪稍长" Isn't 稍 introducing an adjective here?


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## lekal

Yes,  maybe here it is adjective, or verb (is older ), but,  this is a 文言文 word here. 
I think in modern Chinese,  it is seldom as adjective.


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## hx1997

Yeah, 长 is an adjective in that case. This use is somewhat formal.


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## yuechu

How about in this sentence? "春天来了，草长莺飞，万象更新。乘着温煦的春风，到周围各处去走走看看，总有令人欣喜的新发现，总有意想不到的新收获。"
Should 长 be pronounced cháng or zhǎng?
Thanks!


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## hx1997

It is zhǎng (to grow). (And 草长莺飞 is a 成语.)


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## yuechu

Ah, now that you've mentioned it, it makes more sense in this context (than cháng). Thanks, hx1997!


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