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向着 (xiàng zhāo) — to face, to turn toward; (colloquial) to side with, to be partial to

Definition

向着 (xiàng zhe) marks a direction or target — physical orientation (face / turn toward) or figurative support (side with). The 着 keeps the sense ongoing or in motion.

verb
to faceto turn toward(colloquial) to side withto be partial to

Examples

  • 向着。
    Xiàng rì kuí zǒng shì xiàng zhāo tài yáng.
    Sunflowers always face the sun.
  • 向着，向着。
    Mā ma zǒng shì xiàng zhāo dì di, bà ba què xiàng zhāo wǒ.
    Mom always sides with my younger brother, but Dad sides with me.
  • 向着，。
    Zhè dòng lóu de chuāng hu xiàng zhāo nán, cǎi guāng hěn hǎo.
    The windows of this building face south, so the lighting is very good.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

向xiàngtoward
着zhestate

向 (“toward”) with 着 expresses facing, turning toward, or siding with.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

向 originally drew 宀 (house) with 口 to show an echo in a place; later it was used for direction.

Open 向 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 著; 着 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艸艸cǎograss; plant
Sound part声符shēngfú
者
者zhě著zháo
Same sound today

The traditional form 著 puts 艸 (grass; plant) above 者, which gives the sound; the simplified 着 is a later shorthand.

Open 着 →
Appears in
Conflict & AgreementDirections

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