How to Write 项 (xiàng) — Meaning “neck; item; term”

Imagine a worker (工) wearing a necklace (项链) around their neck (项). The radical 页 looks like a head with a neck below, and the worker's item (项目) is the necklace. This connects the meanings of neck, item, and project.

Write the left side first: horizontal stroke, then vertical, then bottom horizontal (工). Then write the right radical 页 starting with a horizontal, then a left-falling stroke (丿), then a small vertical on the left, and finally two dots for the bottom. A common mistake is making the left part too wide; keep it narrow so the right side fits well.

项 (xiàng) means 'neck, item' and has 工 on the left, while 顶 (dǐng) means 'top, to support' and has 丁 (dīng) on the left. 顷 (qǐng) means 'a short while, hectare' and has 匕 (bǐ) on the left plus a different right side (页 without the horizontal line at top). The key difference is the left component: 工 vs. 丁 vs. 匕.

项 is most commonly used in the word 项目 (xiàng mù) meaning 'project' or 'item', such as in business or research contexts. It also appears in 选项 (xuǎn xiàng) meaning 'option' on forms or menus, and 项链 (xiàng liàn) meaning 'necklace', which directly relates to its original meaning of neck. In Chinese culture, a necklace (项链) is a common gift, but the character itself is purely functional in modern usage.

Common words containing 项 include: 项目 (xiàng mù) — project; item; 选项 (xuǎn xiàng) — Option; 项链 (xiàng liàn) — necklace.