Freq. Frequency Top 100,000 Kanji 象 elephant, pattern after, imitate Related words 形かたち 形 is the common word for physical shape or form. 形象 is more abstract and often used in artistic or philosophical contexts.
イメージ イメージ is a broader, more casual loanword for mental images or impressions. 形象 is more formal and often refers to concrete visual representation.
Word family giving shape to; embodiment; visualization
hieroglyph
red globular shape; red ball signal shape
white diamond shape; white diamond signal shape (marine safety)
Etymology Compound of 形 (form, shape) and 象 (image, phenomenon). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination has been used to express 'visible form' or 'figure' in classical and modern Japanese.
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