合
Character Story & Explanation
In modern China, 合 appears daily on beverage bottles and medicine packaging labeled 合 (gě) — a traditional volume unit equal to 100 ml, still legally recognized alongside metric units per China’s GB/T 3102.5-1993 standard. You’ll also hear it in common idioms like 水乳交融 (shuǐ rǔ jiāo róng — ‘water and milk blend perfectly’), where 合 implies seamless integration. The character is essential in legal, commercial, and educational contexts — e.g., 合格 (qualified) appears on school reports and product certifications.
Historically, 合 first appeared in bronze inscriptions (c. 11th–3rd century BCE) as a pictograph of a cover (亼) fitting over a container (口), symbolizing closure and compatibility. This documented form confirms its original meaning: ‘to close properly’ or ‘to match exactly’ — a concept later extended metaphorically to human relationships and standards.
Hi students! Let’s learn 合 — a versatile character with two main pronunciations: hé (most common) and gě (a rare, specialized reading). Don’t worry — you’ll almost always use hé. It originally meant 'to join' or 'to fit together', like two hands clasping or lids closing tightly. This core idea of harmony, agreement, and completeness appears across thousands of words — from 合作 (cooperation) to 合适 (suitable). Think of it as the glue of Chinese grammar and social life!
The radical 口 (mouth) hints at communication and agreement — after all, when people ‘agree’, they often speak in unison. Though the top part 亼 looks abstract today, historically it represented a lid or cover, reinforcing the idea of things coming together snugly. With just six strokes, 合 is beginner-friendly to write — but rich in meaning. Practice writing it slowly, following stroke order: left-to-right, top-to-bottom.
At HSK Level 4, 合 marks an important milestone: it’s no longer just about concrete nouns or verbs, but about abstract concepts like compatibility, legality, and unity. You’ll see it in formal documents (e.g., 合同 — contract), everyday speech (e.g., 合理 — reasonable), and even food labels (yes — including that gě unit!). Mastering 合 helps you sound more natural and precise — especially when describing whether something ‘fits’, ‘matches’, or ‘is appropriate’ in context.
Example Sentences
Common Compounds
Similar Characters — Don't Mix These Up
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