容
- appearance;
- to contain;
- to accept;
Etymology
Phono-semantic compound:
宀 (집 면) – semantic component, representing a house/roof, implying “to hold something inside.”
公 (공변될 공) – phonetic component.
Over time, the 公 component transformed in shape and now visually resembles 谷 (골 곡) in the modern form (宀 + 谷).
Usage in Korean
It frequently appears in names and generational markers (항렬) and is also common in compounds like:
容貌 (용모) – facial features, appearance;
包容 (포용) – tolerance, embracing;
容量 (용량) – capacity.
Additional notes
Its meaning broadened to include “accept, include, tolerate” and eventually “appearance, face”—an essential hanja used widely in names, literature, and compound words across East Asian languages.
In Chinese character classification, 容 is sometimes listed under the “穴” radical group (relating to spaces and cavities).
In Korean naming tradition, 容 is a common generational name character.
- 十金人口 (JCOR)
- ⿱ 宀 谷