香 meaning and stroke order
Fragrant; sweet smelling; aromatic
How to write 香, stroke by stroke
9 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
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
Meaning of 香
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- fragrant
- sweet smelling
- aromatic
- savory or appetizing
- (to eat) with relish
- (of sleep) sound
How 香 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A herb 禾 with a sweet 甘 smell.
How to remember 香
香 is grain 禾 on top and 日 below. The etymology hint says the bottom part stood for 甘 (gān, sweet), so picture a plant 禾 giving off a sweet smell.
香 describes pleasant smells and tasty food, and it also appears in many food and product words like 香蕉 (xiāngjiāo, banana) and 香水 (xiāngshuǐ, perfume). It can mean eating with relish or sleeping soundly. Example: 这个菜真香。(Zhège cài zhēn xiāng.) This dish smells really good.
Common mistake: Learners often write the bottom as 目 or 白 instead of 日. Check that it is a plain 日 with one middle stroke. Also keep the first tone. It is xiāng, not xiǎng like 想 (to think).
Common words with 香
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 香蕉 | xiāngjiāo | banana | HSK 3 |
| 香肠 | xiāngcháng | sausage | HSK 5 |
| 香烟 | xiāngyān | smoke from incense (burned as an offering to one's ancestors); (fig.) continuation of fami | HSK 7-9 |
| 香水 | xiāngshuǐ | perfume; cologne | HSK 7-9 |
| 口香糖 | kǒuxiāngtáng | chewing gum | HSK 7-9 |
| 香味 | xiāngwèi | fragrance; bouquet | HSK 7-9 |
| 香料 | xiāngliào | spice; flavoring | HSK 7-9 |
| 香油 | xiāngyóu | sesame oil; perfumed oil | HSK 7-9 |
| 香槟 | xiāngbīn | (loanword) champagne | |
| 香草 | xiāngcǎo | aromatic herb; vanilla | |
| 真香 | zhēnxiāng | awesome (expression of approval used hypocritically after bitching about the exact same th | |
| 香气 | xiāngqì | fragrance; aroma | |
| 香皂 | xiāngzào | perfumed soap; toilet soap | |
| 迷迭香 | mídiéxiāng | rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) |
香 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 香
Learning 香 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 香
How many strokes are in 香?
香 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 香 mean?
香 (xiāng) means fragrant; sweet smelling; aromatic. A common word with it is 香蕉 (xiāngjiāo), meaning "banana".
How do you pronounce 香?
香 is pronounced xiāng, in the first tone (high and level).
Is 香 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 香 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.
Can 香 describe the taste of food, or only the smell?
It covers both. 好香 (hǎo xiāng) can mean food smells great or tastes savory and appetizing. 吃得很香 (chī de hěn xiāng) means someone is eating with real enjoyment.
What does 睡得香 mean?
睡得香 (shuì de xiāng) means to sleep soundly or deeply. It uses the dictionary sense of 香 for sound sleep, as in 他睡得很香 (tā shuì de hěn xiāng), he is sleeping soundly.