互

互 is an ancient pictograph, originally representing a wooden reel used for winding thread.

The crossed form of the reel’s arms symbolized alternation and intertwining, which naturally gave rise to the figurative meaning “mutual” or “interchanging.”

Later, to recover its original literal meaning of “reel,” two derivative forms were created by adding determinatives:

䇘 (竹 radical) - “bamboo reel.”

䊺 (糸 radical) - “thread reel.”

Thus, the semantic progression is:

reel → crossing → alternating → mutual.

互相 (호상) mutually, each other

互助 (호조) mutual help, cooperation

互換 (호환) interchange, exchange (as in data or trade)

互通 (호통) mutual communication

互動 (호동) interaction

互愛 (호애) mutual affection

互視 (호시) to look at one another

互生 (호생) mutual generation, reciprocal arising

In classical Chinese cosmology, 互 expresses the principle of reciprocity in nature — each force arising in relation to its counterpart.

陰陽互根，剛柔互用。

“Yin and Yang are rooted in each other; firmness and gentleness function mutually” — Zhou Yi (周易 · 繫辭傳).

Thus, 互 encapsulates the Daoist principle of complementarity, the dynamic balance through which opposites sustain the cosmos.

In Confucian and Neo-Confucian thought, 互 often represents the reciprocal relationship between persons — the foundation of ren (仁, benevolence).

心與心互感，而德通焉。

“Heart and heart respond to one another, and thus virtue flows between them.”

Here, 互 becomes a moral as well as metaphysical concept — the mutual awakening between beings.

In classical poetry, 互 frequently describes interwoven lights, sounds, or emotions — blending of heaven and earth, echo and reflection:

山光與水色互映，心境與風月相融。

“The mountain’s light and the river’s hue reflect each other; the mind and the moonlit breeze merge in harmony.”