How to Write 骧 (xiāng) — Meaning “to prance”

Imagine a horse (马) that is so happy it prances while wearing a fancy coat with a collar (the top part of 襄). The complex right side 襄 looks like layers of cloth, which can remind you of a horse prancing in festive garments.

Pay attention to the right side 襄: it consists of 衣 (clothing) wrapped around two 口 boxes and then 衣 again, so write the top 衣, then the two 口 stacked, then the bottom 衣. Keep the left 马 narrow and balanced with the wide right side, and avoid making the horse radical too big.

骧 (xiāng) means to prance or lift the head, while 骥 (jì) means a swift horse or a metaphor for talent, and 骦 (shuāng) is a rarely used character for a kind of horse. Visually, 骧 has the complex right 襄, 骥 has 冀 (hope/region), and 骦 has 霜 (frost) on the right.

骧 is not common in daily speech; it appears mainly in classical idioms like 龙骧虎步 (lóng xiāng hǔ bù) to describe a majestic and powerful stride. It also shows up in poetry or historical texts to evoke the image of a prancing horse, often symbolizing confidence or ambition.

Common words containing 骧 include: 龙骧虎步 (lóng xiāng hǔ bù) — A majestic and powerful stride.; 骧首 (xiāng shǒu) — to lift the head high; 腾骧 (téng xiāng) — to gallop / to prance.