About
The character 与, whose traditional form is 與, originated as a pictographic representation of multiple hands jointly lifting or handling an object, a concept embedded in its traditional structure composed of the components 舁 (depicting paired hands) and 与. Its core original function was as a verb meaning "to give" or "to participate with". Over time, this concrete sense of joint action broadened and grammaticalized, leading to its predominant modern uses as a preposition meaning "with" or "and" and as a conjunction meaning "and". The modern simplified form 与 directly adopts the lower component from the traditional character, which historically represented the receptacle or object involved in the transfer, thereby streamlining the graphic form while retaining its associated meanings of connection and association.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
猫与狗是动物。
我与妹妹一起玩。
这本书与那本书相似。
他的成功与努力有关。
我们与老师讨论了问题。
环境保护与可持续发展至关重要。
这项政策与社会福利密切相关。
国际间的合作与交流促进了世界和平。