Meaning
Elephant, shape, phenomenon, image — used in words that describe both physical forms and abstract ideas.
- 象 — elephant
- 印象 — impression
- 気象 — weather
- 現象 — phenomenon
- 対象 — object, target
- 抽象 — abstraction
- 象徴 — symbol
The character 象 originally depicted the form of an elephant — a long trunk and large body. It later extended to mean shape or image and was borrowed for abstract meanings like impression and phenomenon.
動物園で 象を 見ました。
I saw an elephant at the zoo.
彼の 言葉は 強い 印象を残しました。
His words left a strong impression.
Often read as ゾウ when referring to the animal (象) or abstract nouns like 現象 and 印象. The reading ショウ is seen in compound words like 抽象 (abstraction) and 象徴 (symbolism).