xiàngxiǎng

toward

Depicts a mouth () in a closed space () making an echo sound. Based on the original meaning "echo; sound", now written as . The meaning later shifted to "direction" and "toward".

Components
宀 iconic component

  Iconic component

mián

  

roof

口 iconic component

  Iconic component

kǒu

  

mouth

Evolution

向 Oracle script (~1250-1000 BC)

Oracle script

(~1250-1000 BC)
向 Bronze script Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)

Bronze script

Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
向 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
向 Clerical script Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
向 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

 

xiàng

toward, direction, trend; towards; to face; to turn towards; direction; to support; to side with; shortly before; formerly; always; all along; (suffix) suitable for ...; oriented to ...

 

Xiàng

surname Xiang

() 

xiǎng

once upon time; period of time

() 

xiàng

variant of [xiàng]; orientation; to turn toward; to

() 

xiàng

to tend toward; to guide

Most common words with 向
Freq.
Word
Meaning

towards

方向

direction

走向

direction

倾向

trend

向前

forward

Component uses

Meaning component in 1 character (1 verified)

Sound component in 6 characters (2 verified)