動向
どうこう · doukou · JLPT N1 · noun
tendency
🧭 動 (move) + 向 (direction) = the direction things are moving, i.e. a trend
動 means move and 向 means direction or facing. Together they describe where a situation is heading, as in market trends or shifts in public opinion.
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.