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Chinese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "elephant" in Chinese?
象
xiàng
In Chinese, "elephant" is 象.
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Pronunciation
One syllable: 'shyang' with a falling tone that drops at the end.
Writing and usage
象 uses 12 strokes and once served as a pictograph of an elephant with trunk and tusks. Now it also means image or phenomenon.
Example sentence
象是最大的陆地动物。
Elephants are the largest land animals.
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How to remember 象
Recognize this character as one of the most iconic: a trunk and tusks combine in the strokes.
Related words
- alligator 短吻鳄 duǎn wěn è
- camel 骆驼 luò tuo
- giraffe 长颈鹿 cháng jǐng lù
- gorilla 大猩猩 dà xīng xing
- hippo 河马 hé mǎ
- penguin 企鹅 qǐ é
- polar bear 北极熊 běi jí xióng
- sloth 树懒 shù lǎn
- zebra 斑马 bān mǎ
Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.
Questions about 象
How do you say "elephant" in Chinese?
In Chinese, "elephant" is 象. It is a noun.
How is 象 written in Chinese?
象 uses 12 strokes and once served as a pictograph of an elephant with trunk and tusks. Now it also means image or phenomenon.
How is 象 used in a sentence?
Use 象 as you would use the equivalent noun in English. For example: 象是最大的陆地动物。 (Elephants are the largest land animals.).
Where can I practice Chinese words for free?
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"Elephant" in other languages
Curated by Callan Ratcliffe
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