函 meaning and stroke order
Correspondence; a case, a box
How to write 函, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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- 8
Meaning of 函
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- envelope
- case
- letter
- variant of 函[han2]
How 函 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Letters placed in a container 凵.
Radical: 凵 (container), shared by 8 characters on this site.
How to remember 函
Picture 凵 as an open box, with the 了 shape and little marks inside as letters tucked into it. A box holding letters gives you 函 (hán), a letter or a case.
函 appears mostly in formal or written compounds about letters and correspondence, such as 公函 (gōnghán) and 邀请函 (yāoqǐnghán). It is rarely used alone in speech, where people say 信 (xìn) instead. Example: 我收到了一封邀请函。(Wǒ shōudào le yī fēng yāoqǐnghán.) I received an invitation letter.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 函 with 涵 (hán, to contain, as in 包涵), which has the water radical 氵 and a different meaning. Also do not write the inner part as a plain 了. The small marks on both sides inside the box are easy to drop.
Common words with 函
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
函 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 函
Learning 函 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 函
How many strokes are in 函?
函 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 函 mean?
函 (hán) means correspondence; a case, a box. A common word with it is 公函 (gōnghán), meaning "official letter".
How do you pronounce 函?
函 is pronounced hán, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 函?
The radical of 函 is 凵, which carries the idea of "container". Dictionaries list 函 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 函?
The traditional form of 函 is 圅. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 函 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 函 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 函 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 函数 mean?
函数 (hánshù) means function in mathematics and programming. It is one of the most common modern words with 函, so you will see it often in school and tech contexts.
Is 函 the same as 信 for a letter?
Both can mean letter, but 信 (xìn) is the everyday word. 函 sounds formal and official, so it fits business letters, invitations, and documents like 公函.