流向
liúxiàng · HSK 7
current
🌊 流向 = flow + toward = the direction a current flows
流 means flow or stream; 向 means toward or facing a direction. Together they name where a current heads. The 氵 (three-dot water) radical on the left of 流 marks it as water-related.
流 — water radical 氵 + 㐬 (phonetic, child being born)
流 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The water radical 氵 gives the meaning, while 㐬 depicts an infant being born head-down with amniotic fluid, suggesting downward flow. Together they convey water flowing, and by extension 'to flow' or 'current'.
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.