Chinese character · HSK 1
给 (gěi) — “to give / to”
给 is a phono-semantic character: 纟 suggests silk/thread and 合 gives the sound. Turning 纟 into a ribbon that wraps a 合-shaped present ties the structure to the meaning “to give.”
How to remember 给
A silk ribbon 纟 wraps a closed 合-shaped gift: here, I give it to you.
Inside the character
- 纟 (silk thread) — meaning component. The silk side — often marks thread, fabric, binding, or anything made of fiber.
- 合 (join / close) — sound component. Often a sound-bearing piece in 哈 / 给 / 蛤 / 鸽 / 拾 / 拿 / 答 — and carries the sense of joining.
Where 给 comes from
Originally a phono-semantic compound where '纟' (silk) indicated providing materials and '合' provided the sound (jǐ); over time, it evolved into the most common verb for 'to give' (gěi).
Characters related to 给
Learning a character alongside its neighbours — in meaning, in sound, or in shape — is far more durable than learning it in isolation.
Close in meaning
- 予 (yǔ, to give / to grant) — both mean to give
- 授 (shòu, to teach / to instruct) — both mean to give or grant
- 送 (sòng, to deliver / to carry) — both mean to give (as a gift)
- 供 (gòng / gōng, to offer / to provide) — both mean to provide or supply
Shares a sound component
- 哈 (hā, to laugh / to exhale) — Shares 合 as the sound-bearing component
- 恰 (qià, exactly / just right) — Shares 合 as the sound-bearing component
- 拾 (shí, to pick up / ten (formal anti-fraud numeral)) — Shares 合 as the sound-bearing component
- 盒 (hé, box / case) — Shares 合 as the sound-bearing component
- 答 (dá, to answer / to reply) — Shares 合 as the sound-bearing component
Words that use 给
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 交给 | jiāo gěi | to give / to deliver | HSK 2 |
| 送给 | sòng gěi | to send / to give as a present | HSK 2 |
| 给你 | gěi nǐ | give you / here you go | HSK 1 |
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More characters: 罪 (zuì, sin / crime) · 西 (xī, west) · 针 (zhēn, needle) — or browse the full character library.