相关 (xiāng guān) — to be related, to be relevant

Definition

相关 (xiāngguān) is a more formal written register than 有关 — common in reports, titles, and modifiers like 相关的 ('relevant'). Use 有关 in everyday speech.

verb

to be relatedto be relevant

相关。
Zhè liǎng jiàn shì bù zhí jiē xiāng guān.
These two things are not directly related.
相关。
Qǐng bǎ xiāng guān de wén jiàn fàng zài zhè lǐ.
Please put the relevant documents here.
相关。
Tā de xiǎng fǎ hé wǒ men de jì huà xiāng guān.
His idea is related to our plan.

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.

「相」 (mutual) and 「关」 (connect) combine to mean connected with one another.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

木目相

In 相, 目 is an eye and 木 is a tree, showing an eye looking at a tree; this originally meant “to observe.”

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 關; 关 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

門門méndoor

Sound part声符shēngfú

𢇅

𢇅𢇅關guān

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For 关, the traditional form 關 shows 門 as a door and 𢇅 as two wooden sticks locking it, with ring-like marks on top.

Appears in