字 字源HanziOrigin
中文EnglishFrançaisEspañolالعربيةРусский
象
xiàng
elephant; image
At a glance · 象

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Evolution of the glyph

Five stages, from a sketch of the real object to regular script — tap a stage, drag the timeline, or play the animation.

象 Evolution of the glyph
  1. 象 Object sketch
    Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seen
  2. 象 Oracle bone
    Oracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCE
  3. 象 Seal script
    Seal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCE
  4. 象 Clerical script
    Clerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CE
  5. 象 Regular script
    Regular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE
Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seenOracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCESeal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCEClerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CERegular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE

⚠ Some ancient forms are not attested：oracle bone form、seal script form。No excavated oracle bone / seal artifact is attested for this character yet; we leave it blank rather than fabricate.

甲骨文象大象之形（长鼻巨躯），本义为象。小篆讹变，隶楷作「象」。

What the sketch shows

象 Object sketch

Origins & notes

本义为象（动物），引申为形象、象征。

Structure

象形字，甲骨文象大象形状。

At a glance

Pinyinxiàng
Radical豕
Strokes12
UnicodeU+8C61
Character type象形
Theme动物

Six languages, one character

Each page offers hreflang versions; switching language keeps the glyphs and meanings aligned.

English elephant; image The elephant; also image or symbol.
Français éléphant; image L’éléphant ; aussi image ou symbole.
Español elefante; imagen El elefante ; también imagen o símbolo.
العربية فيل؛ صورة الفيل؛ ويُستعار للصورة أو الرمز.
Русский слон; образ Слон; также образ или символ.

Common words

  • 大象dà xiàngelephant
  • 象xiàngelephant

Related characters

豫