合 hé / gě — one-tenth of a peck; Chinese musical note; fit; to join
这件衣服很合身。Zhè jiàn yī fu hěn hé shēn.This piece of clothing fits well.
Common words: 合适 (hé shì)、合作 (hé zuò)、适合 (shì hé)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "to join"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "to join", including 合 (hé / gě), 接 (jiē), 联 (lián), 参 (cān / shēn), 协 (xié), 配 (pèi). Study pinyin…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "to join" covers 6 different Chinese characters — 合 (hé / gě), 接 (jiē), 联 (lián), 参 (cān / shēn), 协 (xié), 配 (pèi) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 6 characters do not share a sound — their readings span hé, gě, jiē, lián, cān, shēn, and more — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 合 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 合 hé / gěone-tenth of a peck; Chinese musical note; fit; to joinUseful words: 合适, 合作
- 接 jiēto extend; to connect; to receive; to joinUseful words: 接受, 直接
- 联 liánto ally; to unite; to joinUseful words: 联系, 联合
- 参 cān / shēntake part in; participate; join; attend; to join; unequalUseful words: 参加, 参观
- 协 xiécooperate; harmonize; to help; to assist; to joinUseful words: 协议, 协调
Common words for these 6 "to join" characters
Anchor each of these 6 characters in a word you can picture — start with 合 (hé / gě) — so "to join" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
合适hé shìsuitable; fitting; appropriate合作hé zuòto cooperate; to collaborate; to work together适合shì héto fit; to suit接受jiē shòuto accept (a suggestion, punishment, bribe etc); to acquiesce直接zhí jiēdirect; immediate; straightforward接着jiē zheto catch and hold on; to continue; to go on to do sth; to follow联系lián xìconnection; contact; relation; to get in touch with联合lián héto combine; to join; unite; alliance联络lián luòto get in touch with; to contact; to stay in contact (with); liaison参加cān jiāto participate; to take part; to join
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 6 ways to say "to join".
接 jiē — to extend; to connect; to receive; to join
我去车站接朋友。Wǒ qù chē zhàn jiē péng you.I went to the station to pick up a friend.
Common words: 接受 (jiē shòu)、直接 (zhí jiē)、接着 (jiē zhe)
联 lián — to ally; to unite; to join
请把你的电话号码留给我，方便联系。Qǐng bǎ nǐ de diàn huà hào mǎ liú gěi wǒ, fāng biàn lián xì.Please leave me your phone number so we can keep in touch.
Common words: 联系 (lián xì)、联合 (lián hé)、联络 (lián luò)
参 cān / shēn — take part in; participate; join; attend; to join; unequal
我想参加这次比赛。Wǒ xiǎng cān jiā zhè cì bǐ sài.I want to take part in this competition.
Common words: 参加 (cān jiā)、参观 (cān guān)、参与 (cān yù)
协 xié — cooperate; harmonize; to help; to assist; to join
完成这项任务需要大家的协作。Wán chéng zhè xiàng rèn wu xū yào dà jiā de xié zuò.Completing this task requires everyone cooperation.
Common words: 协议 (xié yì)、协调 (xié tiáo)、协议书 (xié yì shū)
配 pèi — to join; to fit; to mate; to mix; to match; to deserve
这条围巾和你的大衣很配。Zhè tiáo wéi jīn hé nǐ de dà yī hěn pèi.This scarf matches your coat well.
Common words: 配合 (pèi hé)、分配 (fēn pèi)、支配 (zhī pèi)
All 6 characters
Open 合、接、联 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.