融合
rónghé · HSK 6
mix together
🫕 融 = bug 虫 melting in a cauldron 鬲 + 合 = lid shut — fused into one
融 places a bug 虫 beside a cauldron 鬲 — things dissolving by heat. 合 is a lid 亼 clamping over a mouth 口 — sealed together. Melt down, then lock shut: fusion.
融 — 鬲 (tripod cauldron) + 虫 (insect/worm)
Originally depicted steam rising from a 鬲 (ritual cooking cauldron), with 虫 likely a phonetic component. The image of vapor blending into the air gave rise to meanings of 'melt,' 'blend,' and 'harmonize.' Modern senses extend to financial 'circulation' as in 金融.
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.