关乎 (guān hū) — to concern; to be about; to involve (formal)

Definition

Formal written verb meaning 'to concern / to bear on', used when something affects or relates to a high-stakes matter (interests, development, fate).

verb

to concernto be aboutto involve (formal)

。
Zhè jiàn shì guān hū měi gè rén de lì yì.
This matter concerns everyone's interests.
关乎。
Zhèng fǔ de jué cè guān hū guó jiā de fā zhǎn.
The government's decisions affect the country's development.
关乎。
Tā de xuǎn zé guān hū wèi lái de mìng yùn.
His choice involves his future fate.

Derived word

构词法gòucífǎ

后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

'关' (concern) and '乎' (about) combine to mean involving or being about something.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 關; 关 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

門門méndoor

Sound part声符shēngfú

𢇅

𢇅𢇅關guān

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For 关, the traditional form 關 shows 門 as a door and 𢇅 as two wooden sticks locking it, with ring-like marks on top.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The old 乎 paired an element for wind or air with 丂, a branch used as a sound part, and was the original form of the word for 'to call; to cry'.

Appears in