杆

A phono-semantic compound composed of:

木 (wood) — semantic element, indicating a wooden object

干 (shield; to block) — phonetic element (gān)

The character originally referred to a wooden shaft or stick, especially one used as:

- a club

- a staff

- a handle or pole

Because 干 historically meant a shield or defensive object, 杆 also carried early associations with weapons or defensive tools.

In Korean, the character is understood primarily through 몽둥이 간 (club) or via compounds.

Graphically related characters:

桿 — rod; pole

棍 — stick; cudgel

棒 — club; bat

Semantically related characters:

杖 — staff; cane

槍 — spear (shaft weapon)

柱 — pillar; post

杆 — Standard in Simplified Chinese

Common in modern technical and everyday terms.

桿 — Traditional form

Still used in Korean Hanja, Japanese, and Traditional Chinese

Often preferred in classical or formal contexts.

In Korean and Japanese scholarly usage, 桿 is usually treated as the main form, while 杆 is acknowledged as its simplified counterpart.