象 (xiàng) — elephant; shape, form, appearance; to imitate, to resemble
Definition
As a bound form, 象 appears in compounds meaning 'elephant' (象牙, 大象), 'appearance/form' (现象, 形象), and 'to resemble' (象征, 象形字 — pictographs that picture the thing they name).
bound form
elephantshapeformappearanceto imitateto resemble
Easily confused
- 像xiànglook-aliketo resemble, to be like
- 向xiàngsound-alike(preposition) towards; to (indicating direction, goal, or recipient of an action)
- 项xiàngsound-alike(classifier) used for items, tasks, clauses, research projects, and other abstract entities
- 巷xiàngsound-alikelane, alley
- 橡xiàngsound-alikeoak (in compound words like 橡树)
Examples
- 象象？Fēi zhōu xiàng hé yà zhōu xiàng yǒu shén me bù tóng?What are the differences between African elephants and Asian elephants?
- 。Zhè ge fú hào de xiàng xíng tè zhēng hěn míng xiǎn.The pictographic features of this symbol are very obvious.
- 。Hàn zì zhōng yǒu hěn duō xiàng xíng zì.There are many pictographic characters in Chinese characters.
Origin
Pictograph六书liùshū
象形xiàngxíngA drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.
象 is drawn as an elephant, with a long trunk, a head, and a big body.
Appears in
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