贡 (gòng) — (bound form) tribute (in historical/vassal context); (bound form) contribution (in modern compounds like 贡献); (surname) Gong
Definition
贡 is a bound form — it doesn't stand alone but appears in historical/compound words. Use 贡献 (gòngxiàn) for 'contribution' and 朝贡 (cháogòng) for the old 'tribute' paid by vassal states; it is also a surname.
bound form
tribute (in historical/vassal context)contribution (in modern compounds like 贡献)(surname) Gong
Examples
- 。Tā wèi gōng sī zuò chū le jù dà gòng xiàn.He made a great contribution to the company.
- 贡。Lì shǐ shàng xǔ duō xiǎo guó yào xiàng zhōng guó cháo gòng.Historically, many small states had to pay tribute to China.
- 贡。Wǒ men bān yǒu gè tóng xué xìng gòng.There is a classmate in our class whose surname is Gong.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 貢; 贡 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèi
The traditional form 貢 uses 貝 for meaning and 工 for sound; the simplified 贡 is a later abbreviation.
Appears in
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