合伙
hé huǒ · HSK 7
to form a partnership
🤝 合 (join/combine) + 伙 (companion/partner) = join up with partners
合 means to join or combine; 伙 means companion or partner (the same 伙 as in 伙伴, partner). Together: to join with companions, i.e. to form a partnership or act jointly.
合 — 乛 (lid/roof) + 口 (mouth)
Originally a pictograph of a lidded vessel — a cover (亼) closing over an opening (口) — giving the core sense of 'come together, join, fit.' From 'fit/match' it extended to 'combine, unite, agree' and to measure-word uses. The reading hé reflects this 'joining' meaning.
伙 — person radical 亻 + fire 火
伙 combines 亻 (person) with 火 (fire), originally referring to a group of people sharing a cooking fire — a mess unit of soldiers or travelers. From this it broadened to mean 'companion,' 'partner,' or 'group,' and is now common in words like 伙伴 (partner) and 伙计 (mate).