The character 向 — “toward”: how to write it and what it means
toward; direction
The Chinese character 向 is read xiàng and means “toward; direction”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 向
向 has 6 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 向, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
Words with 向
- 方向directionHSK 3
- 向上upward; strive forwardHSK 5
- 面向face (toward)HSK 5
- 一向always, all along (habit)HSK 6
- 向往yearn for, dream ofHSK 6
- 倾向be inclined to; tendencyHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 向?
向 has 6 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 向 mean?
向 means “toward; direction”. It appears in 方向 (“direction”), 向上 (“upward”), 面向 (“face”), 一向 (“always”).
How do you pronounce 向?
向 is read xiàng. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 向 have?
6 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 向 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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