香 (xiāng) - fragrant & aromatic

香Tone 1

xiāng ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical: 香

万响

香 · xiāng

fragrant;

aromatic;

savory;

incense;

perfume;

popular;

appetizing

fragrantaromaticsavory

Usage highlights

fragrant flowerincense stickperfumefragrant ricebananaHong Kong

Synonyms

  • 芳香— fragrant; aromatic
  • 馨香— fragrance; sweet smell

Antonyms

  • 臭— stinky; foul-smelling
  • 腥— fishy smell

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The flowers smell very fragrant (很香).
  • I bought a stick of incense (一炷香).
  • This dish is delicious (很香).
  • She uses a floral perfume (花香).

Collocations

  • fragrant flower(香花)
  • incense stick(香柱)
  • perfume(香水)
  • fragrant rice(香米)
  • banana(香蕉)
  • Hong Kong(香港)

Idioms

  • National beauty and heavenly fragrance(国色天香)
  • Fragrant reputation lasting for centuries(流芳百世)
  • Fragrant as orchids and pure as chrysanthemums(兰薰桂馥)
  • Fragrant sleeves(香袖)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese culture, incense (香) is used in religious ceremonies and ancestor worship.
  • Fragrance is associated with virtue and good reputation, as in the idiom 流芳百世.
  • 香 appears in many food-related terms, indicating pleasant smell and taste.
  • Hong Kong (香港) means 'Fragrant Harbor', named for its historical incense trade.

FAQ