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Strokes of genius 合
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The Oracle bone script合 “hé” indicates a lid covering a well-matched container, so the original meaning of 合 is “close or shut.” For example, the Chinese equivalent of the idiom “grin from ear to ear” could be 笑得合不拢嘴・ “Xiao de hébulǒng zuǐ,” which translates as “laugh so happily that you cannot even close your mouth.”
Thus it is no surprise that 合 also means “join, combine” as opposed to “separate.”
For example:
合作hézuò
cooperation, collaboration
合唱 héchàng
chorus, sing together
合同 hétong
contract
合伙人 héhuǒrén
business partner
合资企业 hézī qǐyè
joint venture
“Join, combine” can also mean “compatible.” For instance, 合得来“hédelái” and 合不来 “hébulái” mean “get along well” and “do not get along,” respectively. You can also write a lovely wedding wish in a red envelope for your Chinese friends:
祝你们百年好合！ Zhù nǐmen bǎiniánhǎohé!
May you enjoy your happy union forever!
Finally, “suit, agree” is another meaning of 合. For example:
合格 hégé
qualified, up to standard
合法 héfǎ
legal, lawful
(For more Chinese learning tips, please contact the author Emma Ding via info@emmalanguagestudio.com.)
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