合

Étymologie et composants

The Chinese character 合 (hé) is composed of two parts: the radical 禾 (hé), which means "grain" or "harvest," and the phonetic component 口 (kǒu), which means "mouth" or "opening." The combination of these two components suggests the idea of "gathering together" or "coming together," which is the basic meaning of the character 合.The character 合 has a long history in Chinese culture and has been used in a variety of contexts. In ancient times, it was often used in religious rituals and ceremonies to symbolize the union of two or more forces or elements. In modern times, it is commonly used in everyday language to express the idea of "combining" or "uniting." For example, the phrase 合并 (hébìng) means "to merge" or "to combine," while the phrase 合作 (hézuò) means "to cooperate" or "to work together."The character 合 is also used in a number of Chinese idioms and proverbs. For example, the idiom 合二为一 (hé èr wéi yī) means "to become one," while the proverb 合抱之木，生于毫末 (hébào zhī mù, shēng yú háomò) means "a tree that can be embraced grew from a tiny sprout." These idioms and proverbs demonstrate the rich cultural and historical significance of the character 合 in Chinese language and culture.