管 (guǎn) · pipe; tube

Meanings

1 pipe; tube
2 to manage; to be in charge of
3 regardless of; no matter
4 measure word for tubes (of toothpaste, ointment, paint)

Characters

管

guǎn

tube; pipe; to manage; to control

Contains 竹 (bamboo) radical - ancient pipes and flutes were made of bamboo.

Examples

HSK 1

谁来管这件事？

Shéi lái guǎn zhè jiàn shì?

Who's in charge of this matter?

HSK 2

管他呢，我们走吧。

Guǎn tā ne, wǒmen zǒu ba.

Who cares about him, let's go.

HSK 4

这管牙膏快用完了。

Zhè guǎn yágāo kuài yòngwán le.

This tube of toothpaste is almost used up.

Tips

grammar

管...叫... means 'to call someone/something (a name)': 我们管他叫小王 'We call him Xiao Wang.'

usage

不管 (bùguǎn) means 'no matter/regardless': 不管怎样 'no matter what.'

Components

radical

⺮ zhú

bamboo (top radical form of 竹)

Top-form bamboo radical (竹 in its compressed cap shape) - the indexing radical, telling us 管 is something made of bamboo: a flute-tube. From the hollow tube came the noun pipe and then the verb to manage, since pipes are the conduits that channel flow. Same bamboo family as 笑, 答, 笔, 篇.

phonetic

官 guān

official; office

Bottom 官 supplies the sound (guān → guǎn, just a tone shift) and adds a faint semantic flavor: officials administer, just as a 管 channels and controls flow. Same phonetic in 馆 (hostel), 棺 (coffin). The blend of bamboo-pipe + administrator reinforces the modern senses to manage and to be in charge.