fragrant; savory; incense
HSK level
香 is written with 9 strokes. The animation replays automatically.
香 (xiāng) is primarily an adjective meaning 'fragrant, sweet-smelling, or aromatic,' but Chinese uses it far more broadly than English 'fragrant.'
Applied to food it means 'smells delicious / tastes savory,' so 这个菜很香 praises the aroma, not literal perfume. Said of sleep (睡得很香), it means 'soundly, deeply.' Colloquially 吃得很香 means eating with real relish.
It also works as a noun meaning incense or a joss stick (烧香, to burn incense), and appears in 香水 (perfume) and 香皂 (scented soap). Two things surprise English speakers: 香 covers both smell and taste of food where English splits 'fragrant' from 'tasty,' and it can describe how well someone sleeps or eats — a metaphorical 'sweetness' English never applies to those actions.
Note: As an adjective 香 is everyday and warm; as a noun meaning incense stick (香 / 一炷香) it carries a religious or ceremonial flavor.
这个菜真香！
Zhège cài zhēn xiāng!
This dish smells so good!
spoken
她身上有一股淡淡的香味。
Tā shēnshang yǒu yī gǔ dàndàn de xiāngwèi.
She has a faint fragrance about her.
neutral
昨天太累了，我一躺下就睡得很香。
Zuótiān tài lèi le, wǒ yī tǎng xià jiù shuì de hěn xiāng.
I was so tired yesterday that I slept soundly the moment I lay down.
spoken
很多人过年时会去庙里烧香。
Hěn duō rén guònián shí huì qù miào lǐ shāo xiāng.
Many people go to the temple to burn incense during New Year.
neutral
好闻 literally 'good to smell' — neutral and only about scent. Use 香 when the smell is sweet or appetizing; use 好闻 for any pleasant smell, including ones that aren't sweet.
芳香 is a literary/formal two-syllable word for fragrance, common in writing and product labels. 香 is the everyday spoken choice.
乡 (xiāng) means 'countryside / hometown' and is a different character with the same sound. 香 is fragrant; 乡 is rural.
响 (xiǎng, third tone) means 'to sound / loud.' 香 (xiāng, first tone) means fragrant. Tone and meaning both differ.
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