合
- to combine, to unite, to put together;
- to gather, to collect;
Etymology
合 depicts the concept of two things coming together and fitting as one.
Considered an ideogrammic compound 合 formed from:
亼 (삼합 집) – an ancient form representing “three coming together” or a reversed “mouth” shape;
口 (구, “mouth”).
Together, they suggest “two mouths coming together,” expressing the idea of “matching,” “joining,” or “fitting.”
Some scholars alternatively interpret:
亼 as a lid;
口 as a bowl or vessel.
Thus, the character depicts “a lid fitting on a container,” symbolizing things that match or fit together perfectly.
Additional notes
It also has the meaning of a measurement unit, read as “홉” in Korean (≈180 ml), though in digital input it usually converts only to 합.
合
합할
합
haphal
hap
Kangxi radical:30, 口 + 3
Strokes:6
Unicode:U+5408
Cangjie input:
- 人一口 (OMR)
Composition:
- ⿱ 亼 口