face · toward

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 向 expresses facing or being directed toward something; its on-reading is こう.
• Basic usage: 向く, read むく, means to face or be suitable; 向こう, read むこう, means over there or the other side.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Meanings beyond physical direction
  • 子ども部屋に向いている means suitable for a child's room. Here the desk's suitability for a purpose, rather than its direction, is being described.
  • 川の向こう identifies a place across the river, while 向こうの返事 refers to the response from the other party in a discussion.