What 贡 means
贡 means tribute, a formal offering, or a contribution made upward.
The shared idea is presenting something of value to a higher authority. Historically, that could be goods or dues sent by a region, or a person recommended for official selection.
The early Chinese character dictionary 《說文解字》 analyzes traditional 貢 as 貝, the meaning part associated with valuables, plus 工, which supplies a clue to its sound.
Why does 贡 appear in 贡献?
In 贡献, the offering becomes a contribution.
贡品 names goods presented as tribute; 进贡 means to present tribute upward; 朝贡 describes tribute relations centered on a court. In 贡献, what is offered is work, effort, or value brought to a result.
Will 贡 sound formal in a message?
Yes; alone, 贡 sounds formal, historical, or ceremonial.
For an ordinary present, 礼物 is the natural word. Calling a modern exchange 贡 can make it sound one-sided, with one person in the role of tribute payer.
On its own, 贡 sounds formal or historical; its contribution sense is clearest inside compounds such as 贡献.
For an ordinary present, use 礼物; 贡 can imply tribute and unequal standing.
Part of the collection
Who writes 贡
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What it means when someone sends it to you
4 readingsTribute presented upward to a ruler or state.
Related characters
3
Combination ideas
3Questions people ask
1Does 贡 alone mean contribute?
Not usually in everyday writing. The contribution sense is clearest in 贡献; by itself, 贡 leans toward formal tribute or an offering.
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How to type or find 贡
- Also called
- 貢 · gòng
- Search it as
- 贡 meaning · gong · gong4 · Chinese tribute · Chinese contribution · 贡品 · 贡献 · 进贡
- Shows up in
- Anything that takes text · its shape is whatever your font draws
贡\8D21Codes and encoding1 code points
A visible symbol can contain several code points. JS .length counts UTF-16 units; UTF-8 counts bytes.