响 (xiǎng) is a Chinese character meaning “sound”. It is written from 口 (mouth) and 向 (toward; direction), side by side, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “sound; to ring”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
口 + 向
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 0–2 为「口」3 画，笔画 3–8 为「向」6 画，3+6=9 画）
Memory aid
A mouth (口) turned in one direction (向): whatever it calls out travels that way and comes back as a sound.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 影响yǐng xiǎnginfluence; effect; to affect响 = xiǎngspoken asyíng xiǎngHSK 3
- 响亮xiǎng liàngloud and clear; resounding响 = xiǎng
Go deeper
All readings
sound; to ring
sound; noise; to make a sound; to ring; loud
声音；发出声音。也表示声音大。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 影响yǐng xiǎnginfluence; effect; to affect响 = xiǎngspoken asyíng xiǎngHSK 3
- 响亮xiǎng liàngloud and clear; resounding响 = xiǎng
Sound component
向 family tone diff
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 响 mean?
响 (xiǎng) means sound; noise; to make a sound; to ring; loud.
How do you pronounce 响?
It is pronounced xiǎng.
What parts is 响 made of?
口 (mouth) and 向 (toward; direction), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 0–2 为「口」3 画，笔画 3–8 为「向」6 画，3+6=9 画）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 响 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 响?
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 响?
Common ones are 影响 and 响亮. The reading of 响 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.