馆guǎn
Character evolution
馆
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Simplified · Today
繁体
Traditional Chinese
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Shuowen
馆 (guǎn) combines 食 (food) with 官 (official), depicting a place where travelers or officials are provided with food and lodging—this original sense of an inn or hostel reflects the character's semantic structure of shelter combined with nourishment. The character later broadened to mean any public building for cultural purposes such as libraries, museums, or galleries, though its etymological core remains tied to hospitality and official accommodation.
Pinyin
guǎn· HSK 2