Definitions
(adverb)
each other; mutually
(noun)
appearance; portrait; picture
(noun)
government minister
(verb)
to examine; to appraise
About
相 (xiāng) is an associative compound built from 木 (tree) on the left and 目 (eye) on the right. This structure directly depicts an eye looking at a tree, which gave the original meaning "look at" or "examine". From this concrete action, the meaning developed along a natural path: observing two things invites comparison, and comparing leads to the reciprocal sense of "each other". Today, these extended senses are all pronounced xiāng.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我们互相理解。
她相信我的朋友。
这两个答案是相同的。
我们的方向相反。
他们的性格相似。
他们相处了很长时间。
相对而言，我更喜欢这个。
这些事件相继发生，引起了广泛关注。
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