合 (gě): ge — a unit of dry grain measur…

Meanings

1 ge — a unit of dry grain measure equal to one-tenth of a sheng (升), roughly 100 ml
2 one-hundredth of a dou (斗)

Characters

合

gě

ge — a unit of dry grain measure equal to one-tenth of a…

Examples

十合为一升，十升为一斗。

Shí gě wéi yī shēng, shí shēng wéi yī dǒu.

Ten ge make one sheng, and ten sheng make one dou.

古时买米常以合计量。

Gǔshí mǎi mǐ cháng yǐ gějì liàng.

In ancient times, rice was often measured by the ge.

Tips

register

Almost never seen in modern conversation. You will meet 合 only in classical texts, historical descriptions of grain trade, or recipes quoting old measures. The everyday reading 合 (close / fit / join) carries all the modern weight.

history

The traditional Chinese volume ladder runs 合 → 升 → 斗 → 石, each step ten times the last. One 合 was standardised at one-tenth of a 升 — about 100 ml under the modern market system.

Components

radical

口 kǒu

mouth; vessel rim

Bottom 口 — also the indexing radical. Here it pictures the rim of a vessel, not a literal mouth: the round opening that the lid above settles onto. The closing of cover + container gives 合 its meanings of fit, suit, agree, total. Same radical as 同 (same) and 名 (name), where 口 is structural rather than vocal.

semantic

亼 jí

to gather; inverted lid

Top three strokes — an inverted V with an inner stroke, picturing a lid or roof closing down. Read in isolation as 亼 'to gather, assemble.' Here it depicts the cover that settles squarely onto the rim below; the moment those two pieces meet gives the character its meanings of fit, match, join.