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.
Words that derived from 合
- 결합(結合)–combination; union; fusion
- 결합되다(結合되다)–be united; be combined
- 국제연합(國際聯合)–United Nations
- 궁합(宮合)–marital compatibility
- 도합(都合)–total
- 백합(百合)–lily
- 복합(複合)–compounding; mixing
- 불합리(不合理)–being unreasonable; being illogical
- 세계평화통일가정연합(世界平和統一家庭聯合)–Family Federation for World Peace and Unification
- 연합(聯合)–union; association
- 융합(融合)–fusion
- 정분합(正分合)–origin-division-union
- 정분합작용(正分合作用)–origin-division-union action
- 종합(綜合)–being aggregate; being combined
- 찰떡궁합(찰떡宮合)–perfect match; best friends
- 천주평화연합(天宙平和聯合)–Universal Peace Federation
- 총합(總合)–total
- 통합(統合)–integration
- 합(合)–combination; mixture; fusion; aggregate; addition; plus
- 합당(合黨)–merger; consolidation
- 합리(合理)–rationality; reasonableness
- 합리주의(合理主義)–rationalism
- 합법(合法)–legitimacy; legality
- 합성(合成)–synthesis; compound; compounding; compound formation
- 합성어(合成語)–compound word
- 합성체(合性體)–united body
- 합성하다(合成하다)–compound; synthesize
- 합작(合作)–collaboration; joint; partnership; cooperation; joint venture
- 합하다(合하다)–combine; put together; merge; conform to; be fit; be suitable; be adequate; add; aggregate; total
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