xiāngxiàng

mutual

Original meaning: 

look at

Depicts an eye () looking at a tree (). Based on the original meaning "look at". The meaning of this character has shifted over time to "compare" and "each other".

Components
木 iconic component

  Iconic component

  

tree

目 iconic component

  Iconic component

  

eye

Evolution

相 Oracle script (~1250-1000 BC)

Oracle script

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

Bronze script

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

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
相 Clerical script Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical script

Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
相 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

 

xiāng

mutual, reciprocal, each other; each other; one another; mutually; fret on the neck of a pipa 琵琶[pí​pa] (a fret on the soundboard is called a [pǐn])

 

Xiāng

surname Xiang

 

xiàng

appearance; portrait; picture; government minister; (physics) phase; (literary) to appraise (esp. by scrutinizing physical features); to read sb's fortune (by physiognomy, palmistry etc)

Most common words with 相
Freq.
Word
Meaning

相信

to believe

相关

related

appearance

相当

equivalent to

真相

the truth about sth

Component uses

Sound component in 8 characters (3 verified)