Learn a Chinese Character - 伙 (Huǒ - Partner; companion; colleague; team; group; used as a measure word for people (informal); fellow; comrade; collaborator)

1. Character Basics

Radical: 亻 (rén) - Human/People radical

Stroke Count: 6 strokes

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: Huǒ (Third tone)

3. Meaning

Basic Meaning:

• Partner; companion; colleague
• Team; group
• Used as a measure word for people (informal)

Extended Meaning:

• Fellow; comrade
• Collaborator

Additional Notes: Often implies a sense of togetherness or shared purpose.

4. Common Words

• 伙伴 (huǒbàn) - Partner, companion

  我们是好伙伴。 (Wǒmen shì hǎo huǒbàn.) - We are good partners.

• 伙计 (huǒji) - Colleague, partner (informal)

  他是我的老伙计。 (Tā shì wǒ de lǎo huǒji.) - He is my old colleague.

• 团伙 (tuánhuǒ) - Gang, group

  警察逮捕了这个犯罪团伙。 (Jǐngchá dàibǔle zhège fànzuì tuánhuǒ.) - The police arrested this criminal gang.

• 大伙儿 (dàhuǒr) - Everyone, everybody

  大伙儿一起去吃饭吧。 (Dàhuǒr yīqǐ qù chīfàn ba.) - Let's all go eat together.

• 一伙人 (yīhuǒ rén) - A group of people

  来了一伙人参观我们的学校。 (Láile yīhuǒ rén cānguān wǒmen de xuéxiào.) - A group of people came to visit our school.

5. Grammar & Usage

Part of Speech:

• Noun: Referring to a partner or companion
• Classifier: Used to count groups of people (informal)

Usage:

• As a noun: Often used in compound words like 伙伴 (partner), 伙计 (colleague)
• As a classifier: Always used with "一" (one) to form "一伙" (a group)

Structure:

• Subject + 是 + [Noun] + 伙: 他是我的伙。 (Tā shì wǒ de huǒ.) - He is my partner. (colloquial)
• 一 + 伙 + [Noun]: 一伙人 (yīhuǒ rén) - A group of people

Notes: When used as a classifier, it's considered more informal than standard classifiers like "群" (qún).

6. Cultural Background

In Chinese culture, the character "伙" reflects the importance of community and cooperation. It carries connotations of people working together or sharing common goals.

Historically, the character was often used in business contexts to refer to partners or associates. In modern usage, it's commonly found in phrases related to teamwork and social groups.

The character's structure (人 + 火) can be interpreted symbolically as "people around a fire," which evokes images of community and shared warmth.

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

• Component Breakdown: 亻 (person) + 火 (fire) = 伙 (partner). Think of "people around a fire" as companions or partners.
• Sound Association: The pronunciation "huǒ" is similar to the word for "fire" (火), which is part of the character.
• Image Association: Imagine a group of friends sitting around a campfire - they are 伙伴 (partners).
• Word Association: Connect it with words like 伙伴 (partner) and 大伙儿 (everyone) to remember its meaning.
• Stroke Order: Practice writing the character following the correct stroke order to help with memorization.