1. Character Basics
2. Pronunciation
3. Meaning
- To tie, bind, fasten
- To bundle up, wrap together
- A bundle, a pack (quantifier)
- To imprison, to confine (colloquial)
- To group, to cluster
4. Common Words
5. Grammar & Usage
The character "捆" is most commonly used as a verb meaning "to tie" or "to bundle up". It can also function as a quantifier when used in the structure "一捆" (yī kǔn), meaning "a bundle of".
请帮我把这些书捆起来。(Qǐng bāng wǒ bǎ zhèxiē shū kǔn qǐlái.) - Please help me tie up these books.
他用绳子把包裹捆得很紧。(Tā yòng shéngzi bǎ bāoguǒ kǔn de hěn jǐn.) - He tied the package very tightly with rope.
我需要一捆柴来生火。(Wǒ xūyào yī kǔn chái lái shēng huǒ.) - I need a bundle of firewood to start the fire.
她买了一捆青菜回家。(Tā mǎi le yī kǔn qīngcài huí jiā.) - She bought a bundle of vegetables to take home.
这些问题被捆在一起讨论。(Zhèxiē wèntí bèi kǔn zài yīqǐ tǎolùn.) - These issues were discussed together as a group.
不要把所有责任都捆在我身上。(Bùyào bǎ suǒyǒu zérèn dōu kǔn zài wǒ shēnshàng.) - Don't put all the responsibility on me.
6. Cultural Background
The character "捆" has practical origins in Chinese daily life. In traditional Chinese culture, binding and bundling objects was an essential skill for various activities, from agriculture to transportation.
Historically, farmers would bundle crops after harvesting, merchants would bundle goods for transport, and households would bundle items for storage. The ability to tie secure bundles was highly valued, as it demonstrated practical skills and attention to detail.
In Chinese idioms and proverbs, the concept of binding or bundling often symbolizes unity, organization, or restriction. For example, "捆在一起" (kǔn zài yīqǐ) means "to be tied together" both literally and metaphorically, suggesting a close relationship or shared fate.
Today, while modern packaging materials have replaced many traditional binding methods, the character "捆" remains widely used in both literal and figurative contexts in the Chinese language.
7. Example Sentence
工人们用绳子把木材捆成整齐的一捆捆，然后装车运走。
The workers used ropes to tie the wood into neat bundles, then loaded them onto trucks for transport.
8. Memory Tips
To remember the character "捆", notice its structure: it consists of the hand radical (扌) on the left and the character "困" (kùn, to be trapped) on the right. You can associate the hand radical with the action of tying or binding something.
A helpful mnemonic is to think of "捆" as representing "using your hand (扌) to make something trapped (困)", which effectively describes the action of binding or tying up.
You can also practice writing the character while repeating its pronunciation (kǔn) and thinking about its meaning, which will help reinforce your memory of this useful Chinese character.