Kiokun Logo
函
🇹🇼🇭🇰🇨🇳🇯🇵🇰🇷

letter

HSK 7
Objects →Tools
hán
カン
はこ、い.れる
함
Pictograph of an arrow inside a quiver. Based on the original meaning "quiver, arrow case". The meaning later shifted to "case", "box", "envelop" and "letter".
Components
◎ characterless component+ 凵 receptacle =
函 letter
◎ Iconic component
characterless component
Depicts an inverted arrow.
凵 Iconic component
qiǎn receptacle
Used here to depict a quiver.
Notes
Similar Characters
丟 mislay (trad)丢 discard (simp)丹 cinnabar red丽 magnificent (simp)乎 ooh!乱 chaos (jp)乳 breast亂 chaos (trad)争 contend (jp)事 matter云 utter (simp)亟 immediately亡 deceased亦 likewise介 introduce以 by means of侯 marquis備 prepare (trad/jp)克 overcome兜 pocket
Historical Evolution
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle
(~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle
(~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle
(~1250-1000 BC)
Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
Bronze
Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
Bronze
Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal
Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal
Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal
Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal
Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical
Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical
Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Seal
Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical
Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Seal
Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical
Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
函
Regular
Modern
Chinese
函 [hán]
envelope; case; letter
Japanese
箱 、 函 (rare) 、 匣 (rare) 、 筥 (rare) 、 筐 (rare) 、 凾 (rare) はこ 、 ハコ 同音

noun

  1. box; case; chest; package; pack; crate
  2. car (of a train, etc.)
  3. shamisen case; shamisen
  4. colloquial public building; community building (often written as ハコ)
  5. archaic man who carries a geisha's shamisen
  6. archaic receptacle for human waste; feces (faeces)

suffix

  1. counter for boxes (or boxed objects)
Korean
함 [函]
Noun
box; chest; A square container made for keeping clothing or objects, etc.; ham; A box used for a traditional Korean wedding, containing fabrics and a letter of proposal, sent by the bridegroom to the bride's family the day before the wedding.
Example Sentences
🇯🇵 (1)
その取っ手を右にねじると箱は開きます。
Twist that knob to the right and the box will open.
CHINESE WORDS (103)
邀请函 [yāo​qǐng​hán] #11,116
invitation letter
邀请函 [yāo​qǐng​hán] #11,116
invitation letter
函数 [hán​shù] #29,221
function (math.)
信函 [xìn​hán] #31,133
letter
函授 [hán​shòu] #35,561
to teach by correspondence
致函 [zhì​hán] #65,960
to send a letter
回函 [huí​hán] #45,513
a reply (in writing)
函件 [hán​jiàn] #29,754
letters
来函 [lái​hán] #33,548
incoming letter
来函 [lái​hán] #33,548
incoming letter
93 more items
JAPANESE WORDS (30)
⭐ 入れる [いれる] #269
to put in
⭐ 箱 [はこ] #1,625
box
⭐ 投函 [とうかん] #35,717
mailing
函館 [はこだて] #40,337
Hakodate (city in Hokkaido)
関数 [かんすう] #43,708
function
紙箱 [かみばこ] #53,833
paper box
三角関数 [さんかくかんすう] #85,100
trigonometric function
外箱 [そとばこ] #94,834
outer case
箱館戦争 [はこだてせんそう] #147,096
Battle of Hakodate (battle of the Boshin War; 1868-1869)
暗箱 [あんばこ] #147,603
camera obscura
20 more items
KOREAN WORDS (2)
사서함
post office box
함수
function