给
gěi · HSK 1
give
🎁 给 = 纟(silk) + 合 (join) — silk joined to someone, i.e. handed over
Sounds like 'gay' in English. The 纟 radical means silk/thread, and 合 means to join or combine — together they suggest passing a bound bundle to another person, hence 'to give'.
给 — silk radical 纟 + 合 (combine)
Originally a phono-semantic compound: 纟 (silk) hinted at the meaning of joining threads tightly, while 合 ('combine, join') gave the sound. The early sense was 'supply' or 'provide,' which extended naturally to 'give.' In modern Mandarin it splits into gěi ('give') and jǐ ('supply').
gěi · HSK 2
to give
🎁 给 = 纟(silk) + 合 (combine); silk handed over joins giver to receiver
Sounds like 'gay' in English. The 纟 radical marks textiles/threads, and 合 means to unite — together they form the act of giving, where something passes from one hand and combines with another's possession.
给 — silk radical 纟 + 合 (combine)
Originally a phono-semantic compound: 纟 (silk) hinted at the meaning of joining threads tightly, while 合 ('combine, join') gave the sound. The early sense was 'supply' or 'provide,' which extended naturally to 'give.' In modern Mandarin it splits into gěi ('give') and jǐ ('supply').