What is the Kanji for "Turn toward" and "Facing"?

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for "Turn toward" and "Facing", you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for "Turn toward" and "Facing" is "向".

This kanji has 3 readings:

Its kunyomi readings are "Mu" and "Mukai".

Its onyomi reading is "Kou".

kunyomi readings are based on the pronunciation of native Japanese words, and onyomi readings are based on the Chinese pronunciation of the character.

If you visually breakdown this kanji, you can see is made up of 3 parts:

The kanji "口" means "Mouth" and can be read as "Ku", "Kuchi", and "Kou". The radical "丿" means "Katakana no" . And The radical "冂" means "Enclosure" .

Now, let's make sure you understand this kanji the other way around too.

What does the kanji "向" mean in japanese?

"向" means "Turn toward" and "Facing".

Japanese School Students learn this kanji in Third Grade, while foreigners may learn this kanji in preparation for the JLPT N3 exam.

Here are some words that use this kanji:

向かう: "Go". The Japanese verb '向かう (むかう)' means 'to go' or 'to head towards'. It is used to express the act of moving in the direction of a particular destination or objective. For example: I am going to the park - (公園に向かっています). He is heading towards the station - (駅に向かっています).

向ける: "Face". The Japanese verb '向ける (むける)' means 'to face' or 'to turn towards'. It is used to indicate the direction or orientation of something. For example: He faced the window - (彼は窓に向けた). The statue is facing the park - (その彫像は公園に向けられている).

方向: "Direction". The noun '方向 (ほうこう)' refers to the course, bearing, orientation or heading of something. It indicates the position, way or path something is facing or moving towards. For example: Which direction do you want to go? - (どちらの方向に行きたいですか?). Go in the right direction - (正しい方向に行く).

傾向: "Tendency". The Japanese noun '傾向 (けいこう)' means 'tendency'. It refers to a general inclination, prevailing direction, or general course of action. It can be used to describe patterns, habits, or common behaviors that are observed over time. For example: The company has a tendency to prioritize profit over sustainability - (その会社は利益を持続可能性よりも優先する傾向がある). There is a tendency for people to spend more during the holidays - (休暇中は人々が多く使う傾向がある).

向こう: "Other side" or "Opposite direction". The noun '向こう (むこう)' refers to the area or place that is on the opposite side of something. It can be used to indicate a physical location, such as the far side of a room or the opposite shore of a river. It can also be used more abstractly to refer to a different direction, perspective or situation. For example: I looked across the river to the other side - (川の向こうを見た). Let's go to the other side of the city - (向こうの街へ行こう).

向こう側: "Other side" or "Opposite side". The Japanese noun '向こう側 (むこうがわ)' refers to the area or space that is on the 'other side' or 'opposite side' of something. It can be used to describe the side of a room, building, or any physical space that is opposite from the speaker's current location. For example: Go to the other side - (向こう側に行きなさい). The building on the other side of the street - (向こう側の通りにある建物).

向く: "Face". The Japanese verb '向く (むく)' means 'to face'. This verb is used to indicate the direction or orientation of something. It can be used to describe the position of a person, animal, or object in relation to something else. For example: The house faces the street - (その家は通りに向いています). Please face this way - (こちらに向いてください).

向上: "Improvement". The Japanese verbal noun '向上 (こうじょう)' means 'improvement'. It refers to the act of enhancing, advancing, or making something better. This term is often used in the context of personal or professional development, such as improving one's skills, knowledge, or performance. For example: The training program led to significant improvement in our sales team's performance - (研修プログラムにより、我々の営業チームのパフォーマンスが大きく向上した)

一向に: "Hardly" or "Not at all". The adverb '一向に (いっこうに)' means 'hardly' or 'not at all'. It is used to express a strong negation or a lack of something. It can be used to modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs to emphasize a complete absence or a very low degree of the quality or action being described. For example: I haven't improved at all - (一向に上達しないね). He didn't respond at all - (一向に返事をくれない).

後ろ向き: "Backward". The noun '後ろ向き (うしろむき)' means 'backward'. It describes the direction or orientation of something that is facing or moving towards the opposite direction from the front or the usual direction. For example: He walked backward - (彼は後ろ向きに歩いた). Turning backward - (後ろ向きに回る)

向け: "For". The Japanese suffix '向け (むけ)' indicates that something is intended for or directed towards a specific target audience or purpose. It is used to modify nouns and create words like '子供向け' (for children), '女性向け' (for women), or '初心者向け' (for beginners). The suffix conveys the idea that the item or activity is specifically catered to or geared towards the specified group. For example: This book is for beginners - (この本は初心者向けです).

志向: "Orientation" or "Aspiration". The Japanese noun '志向 (しこう)' refers to one's orientation, direction or aspiration. It encompasses the goals, ambitions and motivations that guide a person's thoughts and actions. For example: His orientation is toward becoming a teacher - (彼の志向は教師になることです). She has a strong aspiration to succeed in her career - (彼女には強い志向がキャリアで成功することです).

動向: "Trend". The noun '動向 (どうこう)' refers to the general direction, movement or trend of something, such as public opinion, events, policies, etc. It can be used to describe the current state, development or shifts in a particular situation or issue. For example: The political trends are changing - (政治の動向が変わってきている). We need to monitor the latest industry trends - (最新の業界動向を注視する必要がある).

一向: "Not at all" or "Not in the least". The adverb '一向 (いっこう)' means 'not at all' or 'not in the least'. It is used to emphasize a strong negation or lack of something, such as interest, concern or change. This adverb can be used with a variety of verbs and adjectives to express a complete or absolute denial. For example: I'm not interested at all - (一向興味がない). There has been no change whatsoever - (一向変わっていない).

振り向く: "Turn around". The Japanese verb '振り向く (ふりむく)' means 'to turn around'. This verb is used to describe the action of turning one's body or head in order to look behind them. It can be used in various contexts, such as when someone hears a noise and turns to see what it is, or when someone wants to check on something or someone that is behind them. For example: She turned around to see who was calling her - (彼女は誰が呼んでいるか確かめるために振り向いた). I turned around and saw an old friend - (私は振り向くと、昔の友人を見つけた).

向き: "Direction". The Japanese noun '向き (むき)' means 'direction'. This word is used to refer to the orientation, position, or alignment of something. It can describe the direction an object or person is facing, or the direction in which something is headed. For example: Which direction are you facing? - (あなたはどちらむきですか). The compass indicates the direction - (コンパスは方角を示しています).

向かい: "Opposite". The noun '向かい (むかい)' means 'opposite'. It is used to describe something that is positioned or located directly across from another object or position. For example: The house opposite ours - (うちの向かいの家). The opposite direction - (向かいの方向)

前向き: "Forward". The Japanese adjectival noun '前向き (まえむき)' means 'forward'. This term refers to a positive, optimistic, and proactive attitude or mindset. It suggests a focus on progress, growth, and moving ahead rather than dwelling on the past. For example: I have a forward attitude about my career - (私の仕事に対する態度は前向きです). She has a very forward perspective on life - (彼女は人生に対して前向きな視点を持っている).

意向: "Intention". The Japanese noun '意向 (いこう)' means 'intention'. It refers to a person's will, desire, or purpose. It can be used to describe one's plans, goals, or desires. For example: His intention is to go to the store - (彼の意向は店に行くことです). Please let me know your intentions - (あなたの意向を教えてください).

向き合う: "Face" or "Confront". The Japanese verb '向き合う (むきあう)' means 'to face' or 'to confront'. This verb is used to describe the action of directly facing or confronting a person, situation, or challenge. It suggests an encounter where one engages with the subject matter in a direct and honest manner. For example: She confronted her fears - (彼女は自分の恐れに向き合った). We need to face the problem head-on - (私たちはその問題に正面から向き合う必要がある).

To make really sure you learn this Kanji, I've prepared an interactive lesson for you. You are going to learn the readings and meanings of this kanji.

But first, you need to know a little bit about Hiragana and Katakana.

Hiragana and katakana are japanese syllabaries, this means that each character represents a syllable.

This are the characters you need to know for this lesson:

The hiragana "む" is read as "mu". The hiragana "こ" is read as "ko". The hiragana "う" is read as "u". The hiragana "か" is read as "ka". And The hiragana "い" is read as "i".

Heres a quick tutorial on how to use it. You'll be asked three type of questions: meaning, reading, and writing.

For meanings questions all you have to do is type the english meaning. If there is more than one meaning, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Reading questions you have to type the reading in romaji (roman letters, our normal alphabet) and it'll be automatically converted to hiragana if necessary. If there is more than one reading, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Writing questions some options will appear and all you have to do is select the correct ones.