蕴涵 (yùn hán) — to contain; to embody (abstract qualities, ideas, or meanings); to imply; to entail (a logical consequence)

Definition

A formal verb meaning 'to contain/embody' (abstract qualities, ideas) and 'to imply/entail' (a logical consequence). More literary than 包含, and in logic specifically denotes entailment — a necessary consequence that follows from a premise.

verb
to containto embody (abstract qualities, ideas, or meanings)to implyto entail (a logical consequence)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 蕴涵。
    Zhè běn shū yùn hán le fēng fù de zhé xué sī xiǎng.
    This book contains a wealth of philosophical thought.
  • 蕴涵。
    Tā de huà yùn hán zhe duì wǒ de bù mǎn.
    His words implied dissatisfaction with me.
  • 蕴涵。
    Zhè ge dìng lǐ yùn hán zhe zhòng yào de tuī lùn.
    This theorem entails an important corollary.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

蕴yùnstore or contain
涵háncontain or include

蕴 and 涵 both carry the sense of holding or containing; together they mean to contain or imply.

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 蘊; 蕴 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艸艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
縕
縕yùn蘊yùn
Same sound today

The traditional form 蘊 is built from 艸 (grass) and the sound part 縕; this explains 蘊, not 蕴.

Open 蕴 →

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 →

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