How to Write 象 (xiàng) — Meaning “Elephant”

Picture an elephant with a long trunk and big ears at the top, and a large round body with four legs at the bottom. The top strokes form the trunk and the bottom part 豕 reminds you of the body, helping you remember the shape for elephant.

Start with the top strokes that form the trunk and head, then write the middle section, and finally the bottom part 豕. Pay special attention to the curved hook stroke (弯钩) in the middle — it should curve left then hook up, and the bottom part should be wider than the top for balance.

豙 is an ancient character that is rarely used today and has a different top stroke (a horizontal line) instead of the trunk shape. 豚 (tún) means "piglet" and is written with 豕 on the left and 屯 on the right, while 象 has a unique trunk-like top and is used for elephant or abstract ideas.

象 means "elephant" as an animal, but it is also common in abstract words like 现象 (phenomenon) and 印象 (impression). Culturally, the elephant symbolizes strength and wisdom, and it appears in the game 象棋 (Chinese chess) as the elephant piece.

Common words containing 象 include: 大象 (dà xiàng) — Elephant; 现象 (xiàn xiàng) — phenomenon; 印象 (yìn xiàng) — impression.