(huǒ) - group, band, gang; partner, mate; measure word for a group of people in Mandarin
huǒTraditional: 夥
Translation
group, band, gang; partner, mate; measure word for a group of people
Word origin
The person radical 亻 (rén, person) beside 火 (huǒ, fire), from the old army mess of soldiers who shared one cooking fire.
- Origin
- compound
- Root
- 亻 (rén, person radical) + 火 (huǒ, fire)
Stroke order
伙
Examples
。
They are all in it together.
。
A group of young people were standing on the street corner.
。
This bloke is very odd.
。
He went into business with a few friends.
。
The boss is good to his staff.
伙 almost never stands alone. It lives inside compounds: 家伙 (a bloke, a thing), 伙伴 (companion), 伙计 (shop assistant, mate), 合伙 (to go into partnership), 伙食 (catering, mess food). The thread running through all of them is people who eat, work or scheme together.
As a measure word it counts groups of people, usually with a whiff of disapproval: 一伙人, 一伙强盗. 一伙的 means being in on it with someone, and it is rarely a compliment.
The trap is the fire. 火 is the phonetic and the historical hint, but 伙 has nothing to do with heat: 火 alone is fire, 伙 is company. Learners reading quickly regularly mistake one for the other.
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伙: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "伙" (group, band, gang; partner, mate; measure word for a group of people): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 42.