括

kuò

扌 + 舌

Frequency#850

Definitions

kuò (verb) to enclose; to include

guā (verb) to scrape; to pare

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 𠯑 represents the sound.

Semantic: 扌 Phonetic: 舌

About

The character "括" is structured with the hand radical (扌) on the left and the component "舌" on the right, where "舌" functions phonetically to suggest pronunciation. Its original meaning involved manual actions such as tying or binding, reflecting the hand radical's influence. Over time, the character's semantic scope expanded to include abstract notions of gathering and inclusion, exemplified in compounds like "包括" meaning to include. Subsequently, it developed a specialized use in mathematical and linguistic contexts to represent bracketing symbols, as in "括号" for parentheses. This progression from concrete physical actions to broader conceptual applications marks the character's lexical development.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Western Jin dynasty (266-316 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

水果包括苹果和香蕉。

Shuǐguǒ bāokuò píngguǒ hé xiāngjiāo.

Fruits include apples and bananas.

我们的课程包括数学和科学。

Wǒmen de kèchéng bāokuò shùxué hé kēxué.

Our curriculum includes math and science.

请用括号括住这个数字。

Qǐng yòng kuòhào kuò zhù zhège shùzì.

Please enclose this number in brackets.

他概括了会议的主要内容。

Tā gàikuò le huìyì de zhǔyào nèiróng.

He summarized the main points of the meeting.

旅行计划包括交通、住宿和餐饮。

Lǚxíng jìhuà bāokuò jiāotōng、 zhùsù hé cānyǐn.

The travel plan includes transportation, accommodation, and meals.

这本书囊括了所有基础知识。

Zhè běn shū nángkuò le suǒyǒu jīchǔ zhīshì.

This book encompasses all basic knowledge.

包括我在内，大家都同意这个建议。

Bāokuò wǒ zài nèi, dàjiā dōu tóngyì zhège jiànyì.

Including me, everyone agrees with this suggestion.

在总结报告中，他首先概括了项目背景，然后详细列出了包括预算、时间表在内的各项内容。

Zài zǒngjié bàogào zhōng, tā shǒuxiān gàikuò le xiàngmù bèijǐng, ránhòu xiángxì liè chūle bāokuò yùsuàn、 shíjiānbiǎo zài nèi de gè xiàng nèiróng.

In the summary report, he first outlined the project background, then detailed various contents including budget and schedule.

Related Characters

Component: 扌

Component: 舌

括