(xiāng) — surname Xiāng

Definition

At HSK 7 this entry teaches the standalone noun meaning 'surname Xiang' (e.g. 相先生). Other senses — 'mutual' (互相), 'looks' (相貌), 'phase' (physics) — are separate words written the same way but learned elsewhere.

noun
surname Xiāng

Examples

  • Tā xìng xiāng.
    His surname is Xiang.
  • xiāng Xiān sheng shì wǒ de tóng shì.
    Mr. Xiang is my colleague.
  • Nǐ rèn shi xiāng xiǎo jiě ma?
    Do you know Miss Xiang?

Origin

Compound ideograph
六书liùshū
会意huìyì

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

In 相, 目 is an eye and 木 is a tree, showing an eye looking at a tree; this originally meant “to observe.”

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