涵 (hán) is a Chinese character meaning “to contain”. It is written from 氵 (water (left-side form)) and 函 (letter; envelope), side by side, and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “to contain”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
氵 + 函
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字: 涵，水泽多也。从水圅声（圅即函）；hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：氵 0–2 + 函 3–10 = 11 笔
Memory aid
A letter (函) dropped in water (氵) soaks it all up — 涵 is about taking something in and holding it: to contain, to include.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 内涵nèi hánconnotation; inner meaning; depth (of character)涵 = hán
- 涵养hán yǎngself-restraint; inner cultivation; to conserve (water)涵 = hán
Go deeper
All readings
to contain
to contain; to include; to be tolerant; culvert
包含；包容。也指公路、铁路下面供水通过的通道（涵洞）。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 内涵nèi hánconnotation; inner meaning; depth (of character)涵 = hán
- 涵养hán yǎngself-restraint; inner cultivation; to conserve (water)涵 = hán
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 涵 mean?
涵 (hán) means to contain; to include; to be tolerant; culvert.
How do you pronounce 涵?
It is pronounced hán.
What parts is 涵 made of?
氵 (water (left-side form)) and 函 (letter; envelope), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 涵，水泽多也。从水圅声（圅即函）；hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：氵 0–2 + 函 3–10 = 11 笔. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 涵 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 涵?
氵. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 涵?
Common ones are 内涵 and 涵养. The reading of 涵 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.