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March 24, 2026
祥xiáng(xiang2)
The character 祥 (xiáng) refers to auspiciousness or good fortune. It is often used in contexts related to happiness and positive outcomes, such as in celebrations, festivals, or blessings. In traditional Chinese culture, auspicious symbols and phrases are significant during events like weddings and Lunar New Year.
Strokes10Radical礻Frequency#17501DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, the character 祥 often appears in phrases and decorations during the Lunar New Year to evoke good fortune for the coming year. It is commonly found in red banners and couplets that adorn homes during festivities.
Memory Tip
Imagine a 'sheep' (羊) standing under a 'sun' (日) that shines brightly, symbolizing good luck and happiness. The character 祥 combines the 'sheep' component with elements suggesting brightness or positivity, reinforcing its meaning of auspiciousness.
Meanings of 祥
xiáng(xiang2)
1auspicious
2propitious
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 祥
祥Simplified
10Strokes
礻Radical
人名míngcíproper noun (pr.n.)Part of Speech
#17501Frequency Rank
Podcast: 祥
Podcast: 祥
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AI Study Notes for 祥
Quick Contrast
吉 (jí) - use 祥 when emphasizing auspiciousness in a broader cultural context, while 吉 is often used to denote good fortune in more specific situations.
Usage Notes
Common mistakes include confusing 祥 (xiáng) with similar-sounding characters like 相 (xiāng), which means 'mutual' or 'to resemble.' It is important to use 祥 in contexts that emphasize good fortune rather than general positivity. While it can be used in both formal and informal settings, it is particularly favored in auspicious occasions.
HSK Study Tips
Although 祥 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it connects with Level 3 and 4 words that express emotions or positive states, such as 快乐 (kuàilè - happy) and 幸福 (xìngfú - happiness). Students should focus on recognizing it in cultural contexts and combining it with other auspicious terms.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 祥 with similar characters like 常 (cháng - often) or 详 (xiáng - detailed), leading to incorrect meanings. For instance, saying '我今天常好' (I am often good today) instead of '我今天祥和' (I am auspicious today) misuses the character.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 祥
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六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声å—)~80-90% of characters
Explanation
Phonosemantic compound. 礻 represents the meaning and 羊 represents the sound. In ancient China sheep (羊) were associated with goodness and fortune, which is why 羊 is a component in characters like 美 (beautiful), 祥 (auspicious), 善 (benevolent)
Phonosemantic compound. 礻 represents the meaning and 羊 represents the sound. In ancient China sheep (羊) were associated with goodness and fortune, which is why 羊 is a component in characters like 美 (beautiful), 祥 (auspicious), 善 (benevolent)
1The meaning half礻 carries the sense.
2The sound half羊 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawayspirit
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 祥? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1
Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 祥?
Decomposition of 祥
IDS Structure⿰礻羊
祥Full Character
=
礻shi4
left
羊Yang2
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 祥?
How to say auspicious in Chinese
“auspicious” in Chinese is祥xiáng
The character 祥 (xiáng) refers to auspiciousness or good fortune. It is often used in contexts related to happiness and positive outcomes, such as in celebrations, festivals, or blessings. In traditional Chinese culture, auspicious symbols and phrases are significant during events like weddings and Lunar New Year.
When to use 祥
Common mistakes include confusing 祥 (xiáng) with similar-sounding characters like 相 (xiāng), which means 'mutual' or 'to resemble.' It is important to use 祥 in contexts that emphasize good fortune rather than general positivity. While it can be used in both formal and informal settings, it is particularly favored in auspicious occasions.
祥 or something close to it
吉 (jí) - use 祥 when emphasizing auspiciousness in a broader cultural context, while 吉 is often used to denote good fortune in more specific situations.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 祥 with similar characters like 常 (cháng - often) or 详 (xiáng - detailed), leading to incorrect meanings. For instance, saying '我今天常好' (I am often good today) instead of '我今天祥和' (I am auspicious today) misuses the character.
Write 祥
祥
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Practice writing 祥 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 祥
祥 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Exercise 1 of 4
Complete the Sentence
这并不是我所期待的那种____和平静的体验。
It wasn't the peaceful, composed experience I had expected.
Example Sentences for 祥 (10)
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1
这并不是我所期待的那种祥和平静的体验。
zhè bìng bù shì wǒ suǒ qī dài de nà zhǒng xiáng hé píng jìng de tǐ yàn。
It wasn't the peaceful, composed experience I had expected.
2
据当地民间传说，那是个不祥的地方。
jù dāng dì mín jiān chuán shuō， ， nà shì gè bù xiáng de dì。
According to local folklore it is an evil place.
3
所到的酒镇总的来说都是宁静祥和的。
suǒ dào de jiǔ zhèn zǒng de lái shuō dū shì níng jìng xiáng hé de。
The wine towns encountered are, on the whole, quiet and modest.
