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涵义 (hán yì) — implication, connotation; deeper meaning, significance

Definition

A written, abstract noun for the deeper meaning or connotation of something — used in essays, analysis, and formal contexts, not in casual speech. Closer to 'implication' than to the everyday 意思.

noun
implicationconnotationdeeper meaningsignificance

Examples

  • 涵义，。
    Zhè jù huà de hán yì hěn shēn, xū yào zǐ xì sī kǎo.
    The implication of this sentence is very deep; it needs careful thought.
  • 涵义。
    Wén huà de hán yì wǎng wǎng yǐn cáng zài rì cháng shēng huó zhī zhōng.
    The cultural meaning is often hidden in daily life.
  • 涵义。
    Tā de chén mò yǒu yì zhǒng tè shū de hán yì.
    His silence carries a special implication.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

涵háncontain
义yìmeaning

涵 means contain and 义 means meaning, so together they point to the meaning that is contained.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
函
函hán涵hán
Same sound today

涵 is built from 氵, the water radical, plus 函, which gives the sound.

Open 涵 →

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 義; 义 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
羊羊yáng
Sound part声符shēngfú
我
我wǒ義yì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 義 has 我 giving the sound and 羊 meaning good or auspicious; the simplified 义 is a later abbreviation.

Open 义 →
Appears in
Abstract ConceptsLanguage

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