香
xiāng
In Chinese, 香 (xiāng) is used to express the English phrase "xiang", meaning a pleasant smell or a fragrant aroma.
The word 香 is used to describe both pleasant scents, such as those from flowers and the delicious smell of food. Additionally, it can express the notion of directing or facing a specific direction.
Which one should you use?
While 香 describes pleasant or delicious aromas, its direct antonym is 臭 (chòu), which is used for unpleasant or stinky smells.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using 香 as an adjective to describe a quality, it is common to precede it with an adverb of degree like 很 (hěn) rather than using a verb for "to be". For example, you would say 很香 to mean "very fragrant" or "very delicious".
How do you pronounce it?
{ "romanization": "xiāng" }
Did you know?
- The character 香 was originally a picture of a mouth 口 near millet plants 黍, representing the aroma of fermented grain liquor.
- The word 香 refers to both the scent of burning incense and the physical incense sticks themselves.
- In modern Chinese, 香 can be used to describe food that tastes delicious, regardless of whether it has a strong scent.
Examples in context
- 我向你道歉 (Wǒ xiàng nǐ dàoqiàn)I apologize to you.
- 请朝向前方走 (Qǐng cháo xiàng qiánfāng zǒu)Please walk towards the front.
- 我没向她道歉 (Wǒ méi xiàng tā dàoqiàn)I didn't apologize to her.
- 他向左转了 (Tā xiàng zuǒ zhuǎn le)He turned left.
- 他们去向南方旅行 (Tāmen qù xiàng nánfāng lǚxíng)They are traveling towards the south.
- 这个菜闻起来很香。Zhège cài wén qǐlái hěn xiāng.This dish smells very fragrant.
- 妈妈做的饭真香。Māma zuò de fàn zhēn xiāng.The food Mom made smells so good.
Example conversation
Zhiqiang and Zihan are in the kitchen during dinner preparation.
- 志强 Zhiqiang梓涵，你在做什么？Zǐhán, nǐ zài zuò shénme?Zihan, what are you making?
- 梓涵 Zihan我在炖牛肉。Wǒ zài dùn niúròu.I am stewing beef.
- 志强 Zhiqiang好香啊，我饿了。Hǎo xiāng a, wǒ è le.It smells so good, I'm hungry.
- 梓涵 Zihan快去洗手准备吃饭。Kuài qù xǐshǒu zhǔnbèi chīfàn.Quick, go wash your hands and get ready to eat.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 香, CC BY-SA 4.0.
