函
box (archaic)
Readings
On'yomi
- カン
Kun'yomi
- はこ
- い.れる
Meaning
函 centers on a container that holds or encloses something, specifically an archaic box. The idea is of a receptacle that receives and stores items.
Most common words using 函
- 函館はこだて
Hakodate (city in Hokkaido)
- 投函とうかん
mailing; posting
- ポスト投函ポストとうかん
posting mail in a postbox or mailbox
- 函人かんじん
armorer; armourer
- 函嶺かんれい
the Hakone Mountains
- 函渠かんきょ
drain with an oblong cross-section
- 函蓋かんがい
box and cover
- 函館大学はこだてだいがく
Hakodate University
- 函館線はこだてせん
Hakodate Line
- 函館線支線はこだてせんしせん
Hakodate Line Branch Line
- 斉次函数せいじかんすう
homogeneous function
- 書函しょかん
letterbox
- 潜函せんかん
caisson
- 潜函病せんかんびょう
caisson disease; the bends
- 私書函ししょかん
post office box
- 経函きょうかん
sutra box
- 製函せいかん
(cardboard) box manufacture
- 青函トンネル記念館線せいかんトンネルきねんかんせん
Seikan Tunnel Memorial Hall Line
Study
Etymology
函 originally depicted an arrow container or quiver, with the outer 凵 representing the receptacle and the inner part the arrows. Over time it generalized to mean any box or container.
Meaning mnemonic
The outer 凵 looks like an open box, and the inner strokes resemble items being placed inside. Picture an old-fashioned box receiving objects: 函 is a box.
Reading mnemonic
For カン, imagine a can that functions as a box: can -> カン, and the can holds things just like the archaic box.