豁

huá, huō, huò

害 + 谷

HSK 3.0Level 7

Definitions

huò (noun) clear; open; broad-minded

huō (adjective) opening; gap; space

huá (verb) to play finger-guessing game

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 谷 represents the meaning and 害 represents the sound.

Semantic: 谷 Phonetic: 害

About

The Chinese character 豁 (huō or huò) conveys opening up, clearing away, exemption, and open-minded generosity. It is a phonosemantic compound: the left component 害 (hài, harm) provides the pronunciation, and the right component 谷 (gǔ, valley) contributes the meaning of a wide, open space. Depending on the reading and context, the sense shifts from the literal act of slitting or tearing something open, to the metaphorical clearing of one's mind, a sudden expansive landscape, or the administrative remission of taxes and obligations.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

墙上有一个豁口。

Qiáng shàng yǒu yī gè huōkǒu.

There is a gap in the wall.

他被豁免了罚款。

Tā bèi huòmiǎn le fákuǎn.

He was exempted from the fine.

他的性格很豁达。

Tā de xìnggé hěn huòdá.

His personality is very open-minded.

我豁然明白了这个道理。

Wǒ huòrán míngbái le zhège dàolǐ.

I suddenly understood this principle.

面对困难时，他表现得很豁达。

Miàn duì kùnnán shí, tā biǎoxiàn de hěn huòdá.

When facing difficulties, he behaved very open-mindedly.

这项政策豁免了低收入家庭的税收。

Zhè xiàng zhèngcè huòmiǎn le dī shōurù jiātíng de shuìshōu.

This policy exempts low-income families from taxes.

经过老师的讲解，我的思路豁然清晰。

Jīngguò lǎoshī de jiǎngjiě, wǒ de sīlù huòrán qīngxī.

After the teacher's explanation, my train of thought suddenly became clear.

为了成功，他决定豁出去努力一次。

Wèile chénggōng, tā juédìng huō chūqù nǔlì yī cì.

For success, he decided to go all out and try hard once.

Related Characters

Component: 害

Component: 谷

豁