象 meaning and stroke order
Elephant; ivory; figure, image
How to write 象, stroke by stroke
11 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
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- 11
Meaning of 象
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- elephant
- shape
- form
- appearance
- to imitate
How 象 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Boar.
豕 gives the meaning.
Radical: 豕 (pig), shared by 14 characters on this site.
How to remember 象
Picture the bottom part 豕, a boar, as a big animal body, with ⺈ and 口 on top as a head and a wide mouth. A huge boar-like beast with a big head is an elephant, 象 (xiàng).
On its own 象 means elephant mainly in 大象 (dàxiàng), but most often it appears in abstract words about images and appearances, like 印象 (yìnxiàng), 现象 (xiànxiàng) and 形象 (xíngxiàng). Example: 我对他的印象很好。 (Wǒ duì tā de yìnxiàng hěn hǎo.) I have a good impression of him.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 象 with 像 (xiàng), which has the person radical 亻 and means to resemble or be like, as in 他很像他爸爸. Use 像 for resemblance and 象 for elephant and in fixed words like 现象 and 印象.
Common words with 象
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 印象 | yìnxiàng | impression (sth that stays in one's mind); a memory | HSK 3 |
| 对象 | duìxiàng | target; object; partner; boyfriend; girlfriend | HSK 3 |
| 形象 | xíngxiàng | image; form | HSK 3 |
| 现象 | xiànxiàng | phenomenon; appearance | HSK 3 |
| 想象 | xiǎngxiàng | to imagine; to envision; imagination | HSK 4 |
| 大象 | dàxiàng | elephant | HSK 5 |
| 象征 | xiàngzhēng | symbol; emblem; to symbolize; to signify; to represent | HSK 5 |
| 景象 | jǐngxiàng | scene; sight (to behold) | HSK 5 |
| 气象 | qìxiàng | meteorological condition; weather; meteorology | HSK 5 |
| 迹象 | jìxiàng | sign; indication; mark; indicator | HSK 7-9 |
| 难以想象 | nányǐ-xiǎngxiàng | HSK 7-9 | |
| 抽象 | chōuxiàng | abstract; abstraction | HSK 7-9 |
| 好象 | hǎoxiàng | to seem; to be like (variant of 好像[hao3 xiang4]) | |
| 想象力 | xiǎngxiànglì | imagination |
象 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 象
Learning 象 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 象
How many strokes are in 象?
象 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 象 mean?
象 (xiàng) means elephant; ivory; figure, image. A common word with it is 印象 (yìnxiàng), meaning "impression (sth that stays in one's mind); a memory".
How do you pronounce 象?
象 is pronounced xiàng, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 象?
The radical of 象 is 豕, which carries the idea of "pig". Dictionaries list 象 under this radical.
Is 象 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 象 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
Is it 想象 or 想像 for imagine?
In mainland standard usage the preferred form is 想象 (xiǎngxiàng). You may still see 想像 in older texts or in Taiwan, but learners in the mainland system should write 想象.
What does 对象 mean when people talk about dating?
In everyday speech 对象 (duìxiàng) often means a boyfriend, girlfriend, or someone you are seriously dating. For example, 你有对象了吗? means Are you seeing someone? In formal contexts it means a target or object, such as a target audience.