包括
bāokuò · HSK 4
to comprise; to include
📦 包 (wrap) + 括 (enclose) = wrap and enclose, i.e. include
包 means to wrap or bundle; 括 means to enclose or bracket. Together they cover the sense of gathering items inside a boundary — to include or comprise. Related to 括号 (brackets) sharing the 括 component.
包 — 勹 wrap + 巳 fetus
包 is a pictograph showing a fetus (巳) wrapped inside a womb (勹, an enclosing shape). The original sense was 'to wrap' or 'enclose,' and it later extended to mean a bundle, package, or bag. It also serves as a phonetic component in many characters like 抱, 泡, and 饱.