含

hán

今 + 口

HSK 3.0Level 5

Definitions

hán (verb) to contain; to include

hán (verb) to keep in mouth; to suck

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 今 represents the sound.

Semantic: 口 Phonetic: 今

About

含 is a phonosemantic compound: the mouth radical 口 at the bottom indicates meaning related to the mouth or containment, while the upper component 今 gives the sound. Its primary meaning is to hold something in the mouth without swallowing or spitting it out. This physical sense of holding in the mouth extended metaphorically to abstract containment: to contain, include, harbor, or conceal something within a larger whole, often used for emotions, unspoken thoughts, internal ingredients, or implicit meanings hidden in texts or speech.

Etymology Hide

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical Cao Wei (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这颗糖不含酒精。

Zhè kē táng bù hán jiǔjīng.

This candy contains no alcohol.

水果里含有丰富的维生素。

Shuǐguǒ lǐ hányǒu fēngfù de wéishēngsù.

Fruits contain abundant vitamins.

她说话时眼中含着泪水。

Tā shuōhuà shí yǎn zhōng hán zhe lèishuǐ.

Her eyes held tears as she spoke.

这种材料具有很好的含水性。

Zhè zhǒng cáiliào jùyǒu hěn hǎo de hán shuǐ xìng.

This material has excellent water retention.

他含蓄地表达了自己的意见。

Tā hánxù de biǎodále zìjǐ de yìjiàn.

He expressed his opinion in an implicit manner.

这个方案包含了大家的所有建议。

Zhège fāng'àn bāohánle dàjiā de suǒyǒu jiànyì.

This plan incorporates everyone's suggestions.

我们需要分析这段文字的隐含意义。

Wǒmen xūyào fēnxī zhè duàn wénzì de yǐnhán yìyì.

We need to analyze the implied meaning of this passage.

土壤的养分含量直接影响作物生长。

Tǔrǎng de yǎngfèn hánliàng zhíjiē yǐngxiǎng zuòwù shēngzhǎng.

The nutrient content of the soil directly affects crop growth.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 今

Component: 口

含