扞 (hàn) — (bound form, literary) contradictory, incompatible (used in 扞格)

Definition

扞 is a literary bound form used almost exclusively inside the set phrase 扞格, where it contributes the sense of 'clash, conflict' between two things. It is never used alone in modern Chinese.

bound form
(bound form, literary) contradictoryincompatible (used in 扞格)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 扞。
    Zhè liǎng zhǒng shuō fǎ xiāng hù hàn gé.
    These two statements contradict each other.
  • 扞。
    Tā de guān diǎn yǔ shì shí hàn gé bù tōng.
    His views are inconsistent with the facts.
  • 扞。
    Zhè piān wén zhāng yǒu jǐ chù hàn gé de dì fāng.
    This article has several contradictory points.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
干
干gān扞hàn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left side is 手, the hand, and the right side 干 gives the sound.

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