How to Write 向 (xiàng) — Meaning “towards; to; direction”

Imagine a mouth (口) inside a house (冖), looking out toward the outside. The mouth is facing a certain direction, which helps you remember that 向 means 'toward' or 'direction.'

Write the top dot first, then the left and right strokes of the roof (冖), and finally the mouth (口) inside. A common mistake is to make the mouth too big or to connect the roof strokes unevenly, which makes the character look unbalanced.

向 has a roof (冖) over a mouth (口), while 卟 has a mouth on the left and a dot on the right, and 古 has a horizontal stroke above a mouth. In meaning, 向 is about direction, while 卟 is a phonetic character rarely used alone, and 古 means 'ancient.'

向 is very common in words like 方向 (direction) and 向前 (forward). It's also used in expressions like 向往 (to yearn for) to show emotional direction toward something. There is no specific cultural taboo, but using 向 in compound words helps show movement or orientation.

Common words containing 向 include: 方向 (fāng xiàng) — direction; 向前 (xiàng qián) — forward; 向往 (xiàng wǎng) — to yearn for; long for.