饗 (xiǎng) - To feast & to entertain guests with a banquet

饗Tone 3

xiǎng ｜ 20 strokes ｜ radical:

想信

饗 · xiǎng

To feast;

to entertain guests with a banquet;

to offer sacrifices (to gods or ancestors);

to enjoy.

To feastto entertain guests with a banquetto offer sacrifices (to gods or ancestors)

Usage highlights

To feast guestsGrand feastTo offer sacrificesFeast ceremonyTo enjoy foodTemple feast

Synonyms

  • 宴— feast, banquet
  • 享— enjoy, receive offerings

Antonyms

  • 飢— hunger, famine
  • 餓— starvation

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The emperor held a grand feast (大饗宴) for his ministers.
  • They offered sacrifices to their ancestors (祭饗祖先).
  • The host entertained the guests lavishly (饗客).

Collocations

  • To feast guests(饗客)
  • Grand feast(大饗)
  • To offer sacrifices(祭饗)
  • Feast ceremony(饗禮)
  • To enjoy food(饗食)
  • Temple feast(廟饗)

Idioms

  • To kill an ox and feast the neighborhood(宰牛饗里)
  • To feast at the suburban altar(郊饗)
  • The emperor feasts the feudal lords(天子饗諸侯)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In ancient China, '饗' referred to important ceremonial banquets, especially those hosted by rulers for nobles or sacrificial offerings to ancestors and deities.
  • The character embodies the concept of hospitality and ritual propriety in traditional Chinese culture.
  • It appears in classical texts describing royal ceremonies and ancestral worship practices.

FAQ