About
The character 贡 refers to the formal act of offering tribute, presenting local products to an emperor, or making significant material or intellectual contributions. Its traditional form, 貢, is a phono-semantic compound with the phonetic component 工 (gōng, "work") above the semantic radical 貝 (bèi, "cowrie shell"). Historically, cowrie shells symbolized wealth and currency, grounding the character's meaning in riches, valuable goods, and taxation. The simplified version 贡 retains this structure, using the shell radical 贝 below, and continues to convey the idea of subordinate regions sending prized goods to a central authority or individuals dedicating resources to a collective cause.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
他对社会有贡献。
当地人民向朝廷进贡。
这些贡品非常珍贵。
他为这个项目贡献了力量。
古代小国必须年年纳贡。
这项发现是科学界的重要贡献。
如果人人都贡献一份爱心，世界会更美好。
他的理论贡献对理解经济供需关系至关重要。