<p>相</p>

<p>[Xiang1]
surname Xiang</p>

<p>[xiang1]
each other,
one another,
mutually</p>

<p>[xiang4]
appearance,
portrait,
picture</p>

<p>You should look into getting a Chinese reader. <a href="http://www.loqu8.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.loqu8.com</a> has one for free that is really good. It uses the CC-CEDICT dictionary which is really good. If you would like more concrete examples, they're all going to be in Chinese, but there they are nontheless. <a href="http://stroke-order.learningweb.moe.edu.tw/advExplain1.do?big5=ACDB" rel="nofollow">http://stroke-order.learningweb.moe.edu.tw/advExplain1.do?big5=ACDB</a></p>

<p>Enjoy.^^</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-28T22:49:01.527Z
Thanks @rypervenche. For some reason I'd become convinced it was more complicated than that.
Azimuth
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-28T00:50:21.547Z
2012-04-28T00:50:21.547Z
rypervenche
<p>I notice that 相 is pronounced xiang1 in most cases, but xiang4 in a few, mostly less-common words and phrases. The most commonly-used examples seem to be 照相 zhàoxiàng 'photo'; 照相机 zhàoxiàngjī 'camera'; 相片儿 xiàngpiān(r) 'photo'; 相声(儿) xiàngsheng(r) 'comic dialogue' (see <a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/786/what-is-the-meaning-of-%E7%9B%B8%E5%A3%B0">this question</a>); and 相 xiàng 'elephant' (the piece in Chinese chess).</p>

<p>Usually (sometimes?) in Chinese a change in tone tracks some differentiation in meaning - is there any such here that might help me to remember which pronunciation is which?</p>

<meaning><tones>
Why is 相 pronounced with a fourth tone in some cases?
# Why is 相 pronounced with a fourth tone in some cases?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-04-27)

I notice that 相 is pronounced xiang1 in most cases, but xiang4 in a few, mostly less-common words and phrases. The most commonly-used examples seem to be 照相 zhàoxiàng 'photo'; 照相机 zhàoxiàngjī 'camera'; 相片儿 xiàngpiān(r) 'photo'; 相声(儿) xiàngsheng(r) 'comic dialogue' (see [this question](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/786/what-is-the-meaning-of-%E7%9B%B8%E5%A3%B0)); and 相 xiàng 'elephant' (the piece in Chinese chess).

Usually (sometimes?) in Chinese a change in tone tracks some differentiation in meaning - is there any such here that might help me to remember which pronunciation is which?

**Tags:** meaning, tones


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2012-04-28. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

相

[Xiang1]
surname Xiang

[xiang1]
each other,
one another,
mutually

[xiang4]
appearance,
portrait,
picture

You should look into getting a Chinese reader. <http://www.loqu8.com> has one for free that is really good. It uses the CC-CEDICT dictionary which is really good. If you would like more concrete examples, they're all going to be in Chinese, but there they are nontheless. <http://stroke-order.learningweb.moe.edu.tw/advExplain1.do?big5=ACDB>

Enjoy.^^

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks @username_1. For some reason I'd become convinced it was more complicated than that.  

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