HanziGuru.项 · xiàng
项
xiàng[xiang4]Tone 4

item, back of neck, sum of money

HSK 4
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項
Guru Deep Dive

English · item, back of neck, sum of money

Cached lesson
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Topology:Left-right
Strokes:9
Writing Balance Rule: The left component (工) is narrower and simpler, while the right component (页) is wider and bears the main visual weight.
Simplification Logic: The traditional character 項 features the exact same simplified right-side component 页, which is the standard simplified form for 頁.
1. Meaning

item, clause, term

back of the necksum of moneyclassifier for principles, items, clauses, tasks, research projects
Noun and ClassifierNeutral#finance#classification#anatomy
Sample Usage
  • 这项任务很重。
    zhè xiàng rènwù hěn zhòng.
    This task is very heavy.
  • 款项
    kuǎnxiàng
    funds, sum of money
2. Sound
/[ɕi̯ɑŋ˥˩]/Tone: 51
项
xiàngxiang4
++
`(51)
=xiàng
Initial Consonant
x
Type: Alveolo-Palatal Fricative
Sounds like: sh sound pronounced with the tongue blade flat against the lower teeth and air hissing through the upper palate
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: Hissing friction with lips stretched wide in a smile.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Tongue tip rests behind lower front teeth, middle of tongue rises toward hard palate.
Final Rhyme
iang
Vowel Group: -a vowel group
Sounds like: ee-ahng rhyme, like 'ee' gliding into 'ong'
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'yahng'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T4 (51)
4th Tone (High-Falling)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 4 starts high and falls abruptly to the bottom, like shouting 'No!' in anger.
👂
Listening trap: Confusing the initial 'x-' with 'sh-' or misjudging the final nasal ending as '-an' instead of '-ang'.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: Tone 4 starts high and drops sharply like an authoritative nod or command.
3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 9 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left component (工) is narrower and simpler, while the right component (页) is wider and bears the main visual weight.

Simplification Logic: The traditional character 項 features the exact same simplified right-side component 页, which is the standard simplified form for 頁.

4. Components

Radical 页 · Page / Head Radical (head, page, leaf)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 页 (Indicates head or top part of the body, relating to the back of the neck.)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 工 (original sound: jiāng / xiàng)

The worker (工) stands tall, holding up his head and neck (页) like a proud item on a checklist.

  • 工 provides phonetic clue and implies labor or construction
  • 页 provides semantic clue relating to head, neck, or pages/items
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally formed to depict the back of the human neck, combining the idea of a person's upper body or head (页) with a phonetic sound marker (工).

Semantic Evolution: From the physical 'back of the neck', the meaning extended to items listed in a row (like vertebrae on a neck) and further to clauses, terms, and funds.

  • In classical texts, it frequently referred to the physical neck before branching into abstract counting categories.
6. Sinosphere
🇻🇳
Sino-Vietnamese
hạng
Mandarin Tone 4 corresponds roughly to the Vietnamese nặng (heavy) tone in some derivations.
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: コウ / Kun: うじ
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
항
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

A worker (工) measures each item on the page (页) by turning his head and looking over the back of his neck (项).

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
项
xiàngitem, back of neckBase character with worker and head.
顶
dǐngtop, summitReplaces worker with nail/top symbol (丁) + head = top of the head.
顺
shùnsmooth, obedientAdds river/stream element (川) + head = flowing smoothly in one direction.
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
顶(dǐng)
Top part uses 丁 (nail) instead of 工 (work), meaning 'top' rather than 'item'.
须(xū)
Has a three-stroke hair/beard component on the right instead of the full 页 radical.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
我们公司有三个重要研究[___]。
Clue: xiàng
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing 项 (xiàng) with 顶 (dǐng) due to the identical right-side 页 radical.

Memory Prompts
Recognition: What does 项 mean when used as a classifier for research projects?
Production: How do you write the character for 'item' or 'back of neck' with Pinyin xiàng?
Real-World Video Context

Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.

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