和

Etymology & Components

The Chinese character 和 (hé) for "harmony" or "peace" is composed of two parts: the radical 口 (kǒu) meaning "mouth" and the phonetic component 禾 (hé) meaning "grain". The combination of these two components suggests the idea of people coming together to share food and drink, which is a common theme in Chinese culture. The character 和 has been used for centuries to represent the concept of harmony and balance, and it is often used in names, titles, and mottos. For example, the Chinese government's official name is the People's Republic of China (中华人民共和国), which includes the character 和 in its title. The character 和 is also used in the names of many Chinese cities, such as Chengdu (成都) and Hangzhou (杭州). In addition, the character 和 is often used in Chinese proverbs and sayings, such as the proverb "和气生财" (héqì shēng cái), which means "harmony brings wealth".