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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
By ear
Play it, then pick what 祥 means.
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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How Well Do You Know 祥?
Example
Learning Lab
Knowing 祥 is seven skills, not one.
Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.
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)
祥 = 礻 + 羊. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 祥
IDS Structure⿰礻羊
祥Full Character
=
礻shi4
left
羊Yang2
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Parts
Which of these is part 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
Fill the gap
Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.
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)
Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
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.
