How to Write 享 (xiǎng) — Meaning “to enjoy; to benefit”

Picture a child (子) sitting under a roof (亠) with its mouth (口) wide open, happily enjoying a meal. You can also connect it to the sound ‘xiǎng’ by thinking of ‘share to enjoy’—sharing food brings enjoyment.

Write the top dot and horizontal line first (亠), then the mouth (口) using three strokes: left vertical, top-right corner, and bottom horizontal. Finish with the child component (子): horizontal hook, vertical hook, and a final horizontal—keep the 子 slightly flatter than when written alone. A common mistake is making the mouth too wide or the child too tall.

The character 㐭 (lǐn, meaning granary) looks like 享 but lacks the bottom ‘子’—it only has 亠 and 口. 㐬 is a rare, old character and not used in modern Chinese. The key difference is that 享 always has the child component (子) at the bottom, while 㐭 and 㐬 do not.

享 is common in words like 享受 (to enjoy) and 分享 (to share), usually involving receiving pleasure, benefits, or rights. In Chinese culture, sharing (分享) is seen as a generous act that spreads joy, and 享受 life is encouraged as a positive mindset.

Common words containing 享 include: 享受 (xiǎng shòu) — to enjoy; enjoyment; 分享 (fēn xiǎng) — To share; 享有 (xiǎng yǒu) — to enjoy (rights, prestige, etc.); to possess.