动向
dòngxiàng · HSK 7
development
📈 dong + xiang = move + direction — which way things are moving
The first character 动 means movement or motion. The second 向 means direction or toward. Together they literally ask: what direction is the movement heading? Hence: trend or tendency.
动 — force 力 + heavy/重 (simplified from 動)
The traditional form 動 combines 重 (heavy) as the phonetic with 力 (force/strength) as the semantic, suggesting the effort needed to move something heavy. The simplified form 动 replaces 重 with 云, keeping 力 to convey action and motion.
向 — roof 宀 + mouth 口
Originally a pictograph of a house with a north-facing window, showing an opening in a wall under a roof. The early meaning was 'north window,' which extended to 'the direction something faces,' then broadly to 'toward' or 'direction.' The modern shape simplified the window into 口.