向 (xiàng) is a Chinese character meaning “toward”. It is written from 丿 (left-falling stroke) and 冋 (an open frame (冂) with a mouth (口) held inside it), one above the other, and takes 6 strokes.
Build the character for “toward; direction”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
丿 + 冋
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: studyhanzi 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 六画：第 1 画为丿，第 2–6 画构成冋）
Memory aid
A single falling stroke (丿) leans on top of a walled frame with a mouth inside (冋) — a window cut in a wall, always facing toward somewhere.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
6 strokes
In real words
- 方向fāng xiàngdirection向 = xiàng
- 向上xiàng shàngupward; to strive to do better向 = xiàng
- 倾向qīng xiàngtendency; to be inclined to向 = xiàng
- 向日葵xiàng rì kuísunflower向 = xiàng
- 向隅xiàng yúto face the corner; to be left out (as in 向隅而泣)向 = xiàng
- 趋向qū xiàngto tend toward; trend, direction向 = xiàng
Go deeper
All readings
toward
toward; to face; direction; to take sides with
朝着某个方位；面对。也指方位、方面。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 方向fāng xiàngdirection向 = xiàng
- 向上xiàng shàngupward; to strive to do better向 = xiàng
- 倾向qīng xiàngtendency; to be inclined to向 = xiàng
- 向日葵xiàng rì kuísunflower向 = xiàng
- 向隅xiàng yúto face the corner; to be left out (as in 向隅而泣)向 = xiàng
- 趋向qū xiàngto tend toward; trend, direction向 = xiàng
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 向 mean?
向 (xiàng) means toward; to face; direction; to take sides with.
How do you pronounce 向?
It is pronounced xiàng.
What parts is 向 made of?
丿 (left-falling stroke) and 冋 (an open frame (冂) with a mouth (口) held inside it), one above the other. The recorded source is: studyhanzi 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 六画：第 1 画为丿，第 2–6 画构成冋）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 向 have?
6. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 向?
口. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 向?
Common ones are 方向 and 向上. The reading of 向 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.