组合
zǔhé · HSK 3
to assemble; to combine; to compose; combination; association; set; compilation
🧩 组 = group/assemble + 合 = join/combine
组 means to organize or form a group; 合 means to join or merge. Together they describe putting parts into a unified whole — to compose, assemble, or form a combination.
组 — silk radical 糹 + 且 (zǔ phonetic)
组 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The silk radical 糹 signals the original meaning of weaving or braiding cords of silk threads together, while 且 supplies the sound zǔ. From 'braided cord' the meaning extended to 'group' or 'to organize,' since braiding bundles strands into one unit.
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.