象
xiàng
#300 most
frequent character
elephant, shape, form, appearance
Measure words:只 zhī
Character breakdown
Source: Make Me a Hanzi.
象 began as a drawing of an elephant, so its first meaning was 'elephant.' The sense 'image, appearance' was borrowed for its sound. From there came 'look alike,' 'similar,' and 'imitate.'
Drawn as: elephant shape
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