捐 (juān) — to donate, to contribute
Definition
捐 (juān) is the simple verb 'to donate' — money, clothes, or blood, usually to charity. It pairs with 献 to form the more formal 捐献, and with 赠 to form 捐赠 (HSK6, often as a gift).
verb
to donateto contribute
Examples
- 捐。Tā juān le hěn duō qián gěi cí shàn zǔ zhī.He donated a lot of money to a charity organization.
- 捐。Tā bǎ jiù yī fu juān diào le.She donated her old clothes.
- 捐？Nǐ juān guò xuè ma?Have you ever donated blood?
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.
Sound part声符shēngfú
肙
肙yuān捐juān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The left side 扌, from 手, shows a hand doing something. The right side 肙 gives the sound yuān.
Browse more HSK 5 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.