洽 (qià): to consult

Meanings

1 to consult
2 to negotiate
3 to be in accord
4 to make contact with

Characters

洽

qià

to consult; to accord; extensive

Examples

我们需要与供应商洽谈合作细节。

Wǒmen xūyào yǔ gōngyìngshāng qiàtán hézuò xìjié.

We need to negotiate the cooperation details with the supplier.

请直接与相关部门洽商。

Qǐng zhíjiē yǔ xiāngguān bùmén qiàshāng.

Please consult directly with the relevant department.

Tips

usage

洽 is mostly used in formal or business contexts, usually in compounds like 洽谈 (to discuss business), 洽商 (to negotiate), or 洽询 (to inquire). It is rarely used alone in modern everyday speech.

Components

radical

氵 shuǐ

water (radical form of 水)

Three-drops water radical on the left — three abbreviated waves, the side-form of 水. Originally 洽 meant 'to be drenched, soaked through,' from which came the modern senses of harmony, accord, and consultation: ideas that thoroughly steep into both parties. Puts 洽 in the water family with 河, 海, 流, 汁.

phonetic

合 hé

to join; combine (here phonetic+semantic)

Right 合 supplies the sound — hé drifting to qià through the regular h/q palatalisation. Beautifully, 合 means 'to join, fit together,' giving 洽 the literal reading 'water that joins everything' — saturation, agreement, mutual accord. The phonetic doubles as a built-in mnemonic for the modern senses of consultation and rapport.