相干 (xiāng gān) — to have to do with; to be concerned with (usually in negative constructions)

Definition

Literary/formal verb for 'to be relevant or connected', almost always used in the negative (不相关) to say something is unrelated. The everyday equivalent is 有关.

verb
to have to do withto be concerned with (usually in negative constructions)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 相干。
    Zhè jiàn shì yǔ wǒ bù xiāng gān.
    This matter has nothing to do with me.
  • 相干？
    Tā de jué dìng yǔ wǒ de gōng zuò xiāng gān má?
    Does his decision have anything to do with my work?
  • 相干。
    Zhè ge wèn tí yǔ zhǔ tí bù xiāng gān.
    This question is not relevant to the topic.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

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

Open 相 →

The simplified 干 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (饼干, 干杯) it is 乾; in others (干, 干活儿) (干扰) it is 幹 or 干.

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 乾; 干 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
乙乙yǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
倝
倝gàn乾gān
Same sound today
Open 干 →

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