xiáng
adjective #17,501

Meanings

  1. 1 auspicious
  2. 2 propitious

Examples

HSK 2
Hóngsè zài Zhōngguó shì jíxiáng de yánsè.
Red is an auspicious color in China.
HSK 5
Guònián shí wǒmen zài ménshàng guà le jíxiáng de zhuāngshì.
We hung an auspicious decoration on the door for New Year.
HSK 7-9
Nǎinai de liǎn hěn cíxiáng.
Grandma has a kindly face.

Tips

memory
(altar) + (sheep) - sheep offered at the altar brings good fortune.

Components

radical
shì
spirit; altar (radical form of 示)
The altar radical on the left marks as a matter of the spirits - auspicious omens, blessings invoked at the shrine. It anchors the meaning and indexes with god, fortune, wish, lucky, felicitous - every blessing-character.
phonetic
yáng
sheep (here phonetic)
supplies the sound yáng → xiáng, a small palatalisation. Sheep were also classic sacrificial animals, so the picture lends a soft semantic flavour: an auspicious offering. The phonetic series builds shape, detailed, ocean, itch.

Stroke Order

xiáng