和解

• Pinyin: hé jiě
• Hanzi breakdown: 和 = 禾 + 口 — harmony/peace; 解 = 角 (horn) + 刀 (knife) + 牛 (ox) — to untie/resolve/separate

Meaning

To reconcile; to make peace; to settle a dispute amicably. To reach mutual resolution after a period of conflict.

Used in legal, interpersonal, diplomatic, and psychological contexts. In law, 和解 refers to an out-of-court settlement. In interpersonal contexts, it means resolving a conflict and restoring a relationship. Also used for coming to terms with one's past (与过去和解) or inner conflicts — a concept prominent in modern Chinese psychology.

Examples

1. 经过律师的斡旋，原被告双方最终达成和解，撤回了全部诉讼。 With the lawyer’s mediation, the plaintiff and defendant ultimately reached a settlement and withdrew all claims.
2. 多年积累的心结在那次深夜长谈后终于化解，两兄弟彻底和解了。 After that late-night heart-to-heart talk, years of resentment finally dissolved, and the two brothers completely reconciled.
3. 心理咨询帮助她与自己的过去和解，从而逐渐走出了长期的抑郁阴影。 Therapy helped her make peace with her past, and she gradually emerged from the long shadow of depression.

Usage Guide

Context: law, diplomacy, interpersonal, psychology

Tone: conciliatory

Do Say

• 双方通过协商达成和解协议，避免了一场旷日持久的法庭诉讼。(Both parties reached a settlement agreement through negotiation, avoiding a protracted court case.)
• 真正的和解不是压制矛盾，而是在理解与包容中化解彼此的分歧。(True reconciliation is not suppressing conflict, but resolving differences through mutual understanding and tolerance.)

Don't Say

• 和解 for casual forgiveness of minor offences — use 原谅 or 不计较; 和解 implies a more formal or significant restoration of a genuinely fractured relationship

Origin & History

和 (harmonious; peace; together) + 解 (to resolve; to untie; to settle)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal