捐

• Pinyin: juān
• Hanzi breakdown: 捐 = 扌(hand) + 肙 (phonetic), to donate/contribute

Meaning

To donate; to contribute. The act of giving money or items for charitable purposes.

Used for charitable giving: 捐钱 (donate money), 捐物 (donate items), 捐血 (donate blood), 捐款 (make a donation). Can be used alone or in compounds. More formal than 给, specifically implies charitable or voluntary giving without expectation of return.

Examples

1. 她每年都会捐一部分工资给山区的孩子们。 Every year she donates part of her salary to children in mountainous areas.
2. 公司号召员工为灾区捐款捐物，反响很热烈。 The company called on employees to donate money and goods to the disaster area, and the response was very enthusiastic.
3. 他去世后把全部财产都捐给了慈善机构。 After he passed away, he donated all his property to charity.

Usage Guide

Context: charity, social, news

Tone: generous

Do Say

• 我想捐点东西给需要帮助的人。(I want to donate some things to people in need.)
• 你捐过血吗？(Have you ever donated blood?)

Don't Say

• 用捐表示普通的给予，如'把书捐给朋友' (捐 implies charitable donation — for giving to friends just use 给 or 送)

Origin & History

Originally meant 'a small tax/contribution' (扌+ 肙). Extended to mean voluntary donation or charitable giving.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal