Definitions

xiàng (noun) elephant
xiàng (noun) shape; form; appearance
xiàng (verb) to imitate

Etymology

Pictograph of an elephant.

Semantic:

About

象 is a pictograph depicting an elephant, with its long trunk, large ears, body, and four legs clearly shown. Originally meaning the physical animal, its semantic range broadened as elephants became rare, known mainly through bones and ivory. This shift led to abstract meanings: shape, phenomenon, appearance, mental image, and the act of imitating or symbolizing concepts in nature.

Etymology Hide

Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Shang dynasty (~1100 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Mid Warring States (~300 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我看到一头大

Wǒ kàn dào yī tóu dà xiàng.

I see an elephant.

的鼻子很长。

Dà xiàng de bí zi hěn cháng.

The elephant's trunk is very long.

这是一种自然现

Zhè shì yī zhǒng zìrán xiànxiàng.

This is a natural phenomenon.

鸽子征和平。

Gēzi xiàngzhēng hépíng.

The dove symbolizes peace.

他维护自己的形

Tā wéihù zìjǐ de xíngxiàng.

He maintains his own image.

没有迹表明他会来。

Méiyǒu jìxiàng biǎomíng tā huì lái.

There is no sign that he will come.

这个概念比较抽

Zhège gàiniàn bǐjiào chōuxiàng.

This concept is relatively abstract.

这种现征着社会结构的转变。

Zhè zhǒng xiànxiàng xiàngzhēng zhe shèhuì jiégòu de zhuǎnbiàn.

This phenomenon symbolizes the transformation of social structure.