How to Write 翔 (xiáng) — Meaning “soar; hover”

Picture a sheep (羊) with feathers (羽) attached to its back, soaring through the sky. The image of a flying sheep is strange and funny, which makes it easy to remember that 翔 means 'soar' or 'hover'.

Pay attention to the proportions: the left part 羊 should be slightly narrower, and the right part 羽 should be wider. Also, note that 羽 has six strokes — write the two 'horizontal hook, dot' pairs neatly, and keep them balanced. A common mistake is making the 羊 too wide, which makes the character look unbalanced.

翔 (xiáng) uses 羊 (sheep) with 羽, meaning to soar. 翁 (wēng) replaces 羊 with 公 (public) and means 'old man', often used as a respectful term. 翅 (chì) uses 支 (branch) with 羽 and means 'wing' — it is the noun for a bird's wing, while 翔 is a verb for flying action.

翔 appears in common words like 飞翔 (fēi xiáng, to fly/soar) and 滑翔 (huá xiáng, to glide). It is used in both literal descriptions of birds or aircraft and in poetic expressions about freedom and elevation. The character is also popular in personal names, especially for boys, symbolizing ambition and high aspirations.

Common words containing 翔 include: 飞翔 (fēi xiáng) — to fly / to soar; 滑翔 (huá xiáng) — glide; soar; 翱翔 (áo xiáng) — soar; hover.