向

向 · xiàng

toward, direction, trend

Entry ↗

Meanings & readings

Meaning & readings

toward, direction, trend

Mandarin
xiàng
Cantonese
hoeng3

Unihan definitions and selected character readings. Read the word to establish its pronunciation in context.

Readings in Japanese, Korean & Vietnamese

Readings recorded for 向 in other language traditions. These are character-level records, not word translations or interchangeable pronunciations.

Japanese 日本語

Grouped by the source’s kana notation; no frequency ranking is implied.

On’yomi · katakana

コウキョウショウ

Kun’yomi · hiragana

むくむけるむかうむこうさきに

Katakana generally indicates on’yomi; hiragana generally indicates kun’yomi. The source does not identify everyday, rare, historical or name use per reading. Kana strings are preserved, including any written endings; consult a Japanese word entry for actual use.

Source record & scope

Unicode Unihan 17.0.0 · kJapanese ↗ · provisional property

コウ キョウ ショウ むく むける むかう むこう さきに

Korean 한국어

Hanja readings · Hangul

향

Source codes are separated below. They are neither sounds nor tones; a character reading alone does not specify a whole word’s pronunciation.

Reading sources explained
향
KS X 1001 (0) · Educational Hanja (E)
Source record & scope

Unicode Unihan 17.0.0 · kHangul ↗ · provisional property

향:0E

Vietnamese Tiếng Việt

Character readings · Quốc ngữ

hướng

Vietnamese readings associated with this Han character. This field alone does not establish word meanings, current usage, or a complete account of Hán-Nôm reading traditions.

Source record & scope

Unicode Unihan 17.0.0 · kVietnamese ↗ · provisional property

hướng

Form & structure

Writing & identity

Unicode
U+5411
Radical
口 · 30
Strokes
6 · Unihan
Residual
3

Source record · Unihan 17.0. Individual senses and historical claims have not yet been reviewed by zimai.

Stroke order

6 strokes
向
Strokes
6
Convention
PRC · Make Me a Hanzi

6 strokes in writing order. Play to watch them, or Step through one at a time.

Modern stroke order; regional conventions can differ. Stroke medians: Make Me a Hanzi via HanziLookupJS, drawn as an even pen line.

Graphical structure

⿱㇒冋(GHTJKPV)
⿵𰃦口(X)
How to read these symbols

⿰ left–right · ⿱ above–below · ⿻ overlap. Dotted boxes indicate positions, not missing characters. Each symbol describes the components that follow it; nested symbols describe a component in more detail. Source codes identify alternative analyses, not a writing sequence or an etymology.

BabelStone IDS · 2025-06-27. Region tags are preserved; 〾 marks approximation and {n} identifies an unencoded source component. These describe graphical structure, not historical derivation.

Words & connections

Words using 向

Character connections

4 catalogue records include this shape in their first retained IDS. Graphical containment does not imply shared etymology.

History & distinctions

Related forms

嚮 · 曏

Unihan traditional/simplified variant properties. Conversion may depend on context.

Historical readings

Middle Chinese
syangH · 式亮 反切 · #2895
Middle Chinese
xjangH · 許亮 反切 · #2898

Guangyun-based transcriptions · PHONO-ML · CC BY 4.0. These describe historical reading categories, not modern word pronunciation.

Source row & reading categories

CSV line 15526 · syangH = 宕開三去陽書 · xjangH = 宕開三去陽曉

Automatically generated in the source dataset; the authors checked a subset and acknowledge possible errors. All source readings are retained separately. Notation & method ↗

Sources & reference

Evidence & next depth

Source editions & exact scope ↗
Retained Unihan properties
kMandarin
xiàng
kCantonese
hoeng3
kDefinition
toward, direction, trend
kTotalStrokes
6
kRSUnicode
30.3
kTraditionalVariant
U+5411 U+56AE U+66CF
kSimplifiedVariant
U+5411
kGradeLevel
1
kTGH
2013:480

Readings across dictionaries

Hanyu Da Zidian
xiàng 10579.080
Xiandai Hanyu · 1983
xiàng 1260.030
Tongyong Guifan · 2013
xiàng 401.170,401.180
Small numbers locate dictionary entries; 粵 introduces Cantonese. Includes rare or historical readings. Source notation ↗

Reference desk

Sentences in context

Find examples using 向 ↗

The attributed sentence collection is still small; this spelling has no retained example yet.

Study this character

Structure & connections

0.10
154dictionary records using 向5forms using this shape1attributed sound links
⿱ Above / below

Shape description
㇒ above 冋 · the same shape in all seven regional standards (China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Vietnam)
Source notation ^⿱㇒冋$(GHTJKPV)
BabelStone · 2025-06-27. Encoded shape and region tags; graphical analysis does not establish historical function.

Decompose & trace ↗Browse all 154 word records ↗Explore sound families ↗Component search ↗
Retained descriptions & scope

^⿱㇒冋$(GHTJKPV)

^⿵𰃦口$(X)

All alternatives are retained. Only the first description drives component search and graphical links. Counts describe this snapshot, not frequency. Evidence and method.