函

函 · hán

correspondence; a case; a box

Entry ↗

Meanings & readings

Meaning & readings

correspondence; a case; a box

Mandarin
hán
Cantonese
haam4

Unihan definitions and selected character readings. Read the word to establish its pronunciation in context.

Readings in Japanese, Korean & Vietnamese

Readings recorded for 函 in other language traditions. These are character-level records, not word translations or interchangeable pronunciations.

Japanese 日本語

Grouped by the source’s kana notation; no frequency ranking is implied.

On’yomi · katakana

カンゴンゲン

Kun’yomi · hiragana

はこいれる

Katakana generally indicates on’yomi; hiragana generally indicates kun’yomi. The source does not identify everyday, rare, historical or name use per reading. Kana strings are preserved, including any written endings; consult a Japanese word entry for actual use.

Source record & scope

Unicode Unihan 17.0.0 · kJapanese ↗ · provisional property

カン ゴン ゲン はこ いれる

Korean 한국어

Hanja readings · Hangul

함

Source codes are separated below. They are neither sounds nor tones; a character reading alone does not specify a whole word’s pronunciation.

Reading sources explained
함
KS X 1001 (0) · Personal-name Hanja (N)
Source record & scope

Unicode Unihan 17.0.0 · kHangul ↗ · provisional property

함:0N

Vietnamese Tiếng Việt

Character readings · Quốc ngữ

hòm

Vietnamese readings associated with this Han character. This field alone does not establish word meanings, current usage, or a complete account of Hán-Nôm reading traditions.

Source record & scope

Unicode Unihan 17.0.0 · kVietnamese ↗ · provisional property

hòm

Form & structure

Writing & identity

Unicode
U+51FD
Radical
凵 · 17
Strokes
8 · Unihan
Residual
6

Source record · Unihan 17.0. Individual senses and historical claims have not yet been reviewed by zimai.

Stroke order

8 strokes
函
Strokes
8
Convention
PRC · Make Me a Hanzi

8 strokes in writing order. Play to watch them, or Step through one at a time.

Modern stroke order; regional conventions can differ. Stroke medians: Make Me a Hanzi via HanziLookupJS, drawn as an even pen line.

Graphical structure

⿶凵⿱乛氺(GP[B])
⿶凵⿻了{11}(HTV)
⿶凵⿻丂{11}(JK)
How to read these symbols

⿰ left–right · ⿱ above–below · ⿻ overlap. Dotted boxes indicate positions, not missing characters. Each symbol describes the components that follow it; nested symbols describe a component in more detail. Source codes identify alternative analyses, not a writing sequence or an etymology.

BabelStone IDS · 2025-06-27. Region tags are preserved; 〾 marks approximation and {n} identifies an unencoded source component. These describe graphical structure, not historical derivation.

Words & connections

Words using 函

Character connections

2 catalogue records include this shape in their first retained IDS. Graphical containment does not imply shared etymology.

Follow this component

Reverse links to attributed component analyses. Open each character for its role, source and words. Shared components do not establish word ancestry.

History & distinctions

Related forms

No simplified/traditional variant property is retained for this record.

Historical readings

Middle Chinese
hom · 胡男 反切 · #1076
Middle Chinese
heam · 胡讒 反切 · #1133

Guangyun-based transcriptions · PHONO-ML · CC BY 4.0. These describe historical reading categories, not modern word pronunciation.

Source row & reading categories

CSV line 8463 · hom = 咸開一平覃匣 · heam = 咸開二平咸匣

Automatically generated in the source dataset; the authors checked a subset and acknowledge possible errors. All source readings are retained separately. Notation & method ↗

Sources & reference

Evidence & next depth

Source editions & exact scope ↗
Retained Unihan properties
kMandarin
hán
kCantonese
haam4
kDefinition
correspondence; a case; a box
kTotalStrokes
8
kRSUnicode
17.6
kGradeLevel
4
kTGH
2013:1322

Readings across dictionaries

Hanyu Da Zidian
hán 10309.090
Small numbers locate dictionary entries; 粵 introduces Cantonese. Includes rare or historical readings. Source notation ↗

Reference desk

Sentences in context

Find examples using 函 ↗

The attributed sentence collection is still small; this spelling has no retained example yet.

Study this character

Structure & connections

0.10
64dictionary records using 函3forms using this shape1attributed sound links
⿶ Open at the top
⿱ Above / below

Shape description
凵 encloses (乛 above 氺) from below · the shape used in China, North Korea, United Kingdom (as a variant)
Source notation ^⿶凵⿱乛氺$(GP[B])
BabelStone · 2025-06-27. Encoded shape and region tags; graphical analysis does not establish historical function.

Decompose & trace ↗Browse all 64 word records ↗Explore sound families ↗Component search ↗
Retained descriptions & scope

^⿶凵⿱乛氺$(GP[B])

^⿶凵⿻了{11}$(HTV) · preserved, not fully parsed

^⿶凵⿻丂{11}$(JK) · preserved, not fully parsed

All alternatives are retained. Only the first description drives component search and graphical links. Counts describe this snapshot, not frequency. Evidence and method.