合hé

合

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Simplified · Today

简体

Simplified Chinese

合 (hé, "to close, to combine") has remained unchanged between simplified and traditional forms. Its visual form depicts a lid (亼) resting over an opening (口), elegantly capturing the idea of bringing things together or sealing. As a component, it appears in 盒 (hé, box), 合唱 (héchàng, chorus), 合作 (hézuò, cooperate) and 結合 (jiéhé, combine).

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Shuowen

合. The oracle bone shows a lid (resembling a roof) resting squarely over a container (口), illustrating the action of covering or closing. This pictogram originally meant 'to close' or 'to join', and because a closed container brings things together, the character later came to signify 'to combine', 'to meet', or 'to agree'.

Pinyin

hé· HSK 2

合hé

Character evolution

Shuowen

Pinyin