TongTong
Sign in

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

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xiàngxíng

A 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
1000 Most Frequent Chinese WordsAnimals & Mammals2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.