A Story

木 wood + 目 eye = 相 picture

This character has two radicals: 木 wood, coupled with 目 eye, makes a picture. My dad suggested you can look at it as the eye looking at a tree and taking/creating a picture of the tree.

This is the same word you would use in "taking a picture", 影相 yíng séung.

It's also the same word you would use in "looking at one's picture" 睇相 tái seung. This is a type of Chinese fortune telling: looking at one's picture, meaning to look at one's face, constitution, hands and see the picture of their life.

Date Added: 3/14/2021