The kanji 象 generally means "elephant" or "image," representing something that is large, imposing, or a visual representation. It often refers to the animal, but can also extend to other concepts related to size, appearance, and form.

・On-yomi (音読み): ゾウ (zō) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): None, or used as a component within compounds.

⚫︎ 象象 (zō) Translation: Elephant ⚫︎ 印象象 (inshō) Translation: Impression ⚫︎ 対象象 (taishō) Translation: Object, target

The kanji 象 is a pictograph. ⚫︎ It originally depicted an elephant, showing its trunk, tusks, and large body. ⚫︎ The shape has evolved over time, but the core idea of an elephant remains. ⚫︎ The character is composed of the components ⺈ (a simplified form of the character for "animal") on the top and 豕 (pig) on the bottom, which is a symbolic representation of a large animal like an elephant.