How to Write 香 (xiāng) — Meaning “fragrant or delicious”

Imagine a field of grain (禾) under a bright sun (日), and the warm air carries a beautiful, sweet smell. This mental picture of "sun over grain" helps you recall that 香 means fragrant or delicious.

Make sure the top part 禾 is slightly narrower than the bottom 日, and the horizontal stroke in 禾 should be long enough to cover the characters width. A common mistake is making the 日 too tall or writing the left vertical stroke of 禾 too short.

香水 (xiāng shuǐ) means perfume; 香蕉 (xiāng jiāo) is banana, and 真香 (zhēn xiāng) is used to say something smells great, often used humorously when someone changes their mind about liking something. These phrases are common in daily conversation about scents, food, or positive experiences.

香 is used to describe pleasant smells of food, flowers, or incense. In Chinese culture, burning incense (烧香) is a common practice in temples and homes for worship or meditation, and the character carries positive connotations of harmony and spirituality.

Common words containing 香 include: 香水 (xiāng shuǐ) — perfume; 香蕉 (xiāng jiāo) — Banana; 真香 (zhēn xiāng) — really fragrant; smells great.