貢

It is especially used for goods, labor, or resources offered by a subordinate to a superior, such as a subject to a ruler or a region to the state.

貝 — semantic element meaning cowrie shell, the ancient symbol of wealth and payment

工 — phonetic element giving the sound gong

Originally, the character referred to valuable items delivered as obligatory offerings, later extended to abstract meanings such as contribution or service.

Meaning development:

- to offer tribute (material goods)

- to deliver required resources

- to contribute effort or talent

- abstract contribution (later usage)

The modern sense of “contribution” (공헌) derives from this older, hierarchical meaning.

조공 (朝貢) — tribute paid to a suzerain state

공물 (貢物) — tribute goods

공헌 (貢獻) — contribution; dedication

진공 (進貢) — to formally present tribute

공품 (貢品) — items offered as tribute

Historical & cultural notes:

In East Asian diplomatic history, 朝貢體制 (tribute system) was a foundational political structure.

Failure to provide 貢 could be interpreted as rebellion or disloyalty.

A key conceptual distinction in Classical Chinese:

貢 — what inferiors offer to superiors

賜 — what superiors bestow upon inferiors

This distinction is essential in understanding ritual, political, and historical texts.

In classical usage, 貢 almost always implies hierarchy and obligation, not voluntary donation:

以土貢其財 — They presented the wealth of their land as tribute.

歲貢不絕 — Annual tribute did not cease.

萬邦來貢 — All states came to present tribute.

Related characters:

賜 — to bestow (top-down giving)

獻 — to present respectfully

納 — to deliver, to pay in

供 — to supply