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協 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
協xiéto assist; to cooperate, to join; to harmonizex, 8 strokes, radical 十
xié(xie2) T2
  1. 1to assist; to cooperate, to join; to harmonize
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

協xié(xie2)

The character 協 (xié) means to assist, cooperate, or harmonize. It is often used in contexts involving teamwork, collaboration, or aligning efforts towards a common goal. This character emphasizes the importance of working together and achieving harmony in relationships or projects.

Strokes8Radical十
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of cooperation is highly valued, especially in business and community settings. The idea of 協 is often linked to Confucian principles that emphasize harmony and collective effort.

Memory Tip

Imagine a group of people (the radicals) coming together to form a strong alliance. The left part '十' (shí) looks like two people joining hands, while the right part '口' (kǒu) symbolizes open communication. Think of 'xie' as 'sharing' or 'joining efforts'—like a choir harmonizing beautifully.

Meanings of 協

xié(xie2)
1to assist; to cooperate, to join; to harmonize
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 協

協Simplified
8Strokes
十Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 協

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Podcast: 協

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 協

Quick Contrast

協 (xié) vs 合 (hé): Use 協 when emphasizing cooperation and teamwork, while 合 focuses more on fitting together or uniting.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 協 (xié) with similar-sounding characters like 解 (jiě), which means to solve or untie. 協 is more formal and often used in business and diplomatic contexts, so it's less common in casual conversations. Common collocations include 協作 (xiézuò, cooperation) and 協議 (xiéyì, agreement).

HSK Study Tips

Although 協 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, it is relevant for intermediate learners as it appears in compound words. Focus on its usage in formal contexts and related terms, like 協作 (cooperation) or 協調 (coordination), to enhance your vocabulary.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mispronounce 協 (xié) by saying 'xie' with a flat tone instead of the correct rising tone. Additionally, some might confuse it with similar characters like 解 (jiě), which leads to incorrect usage in sentences.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 協

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Etymology of 協

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 办 represents the meaning and 十 represents the sound. Simplified form of 協.

Memory Hint

cooperate

Semantic (meaning)劦
+
Phonetic (sound)十
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 協

Phonosemantic compound. 办 represents the meaning and 十 represents the sound. Simplified form of 協.

  1. 1The meaning half劦 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half十 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaycooperate
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 協? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 協?

Decomposition of 協

IDS Structure⿰十劦
協Full Character
=
十shi2
left
劦lie4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 協?

How to say to assist; to cooperate, to join; to harmonize in Chinese

“to assist; to cooperate, to join; to harmonize” in Chinese is協xié

The character 協 (xié) means to assist, cooperate, or harmonize. It is often used in contexts involving teamwork, collaboration, or aligning efforts towards a common goal. This character emphasizes the importance of working together and achieving harmony in relationships or projects.

When to use 協

Be careful not to confuse 協 (xié) with similar-sounding characters like 解 (jiě), which means to solve or untie. 協 is more formal and often used in business and diplomatic contexts, so it's less common in casual conversations. Common collocations include 協作 (xiézuò, cooperation) and 協議 (xiéyì, agreement).

協 or something close to it

協 (xié) vs 合 (hé): Use 協 when emphasizing cooperation and teamwork, while 合 focuses more on fitting together or uniting.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mispronounce 協 (xié) by saying 'xie' with a flat tone instead of the correct rising tone. Additionally, some might confuse it with similar characters like 解 (jiě), which leads to incorrect usage in sentences.

Write 協

協

Practice writing 協 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 協

Words Containing This Character20
协议xiéyìpact協議
协会xiéhuìa society協會
协调xiétiáoto coordinate協調
协助xiézhùto aid協助
妥协tuǒxiéto compromise妥協
协商xiéshāngto consult with協商
协定xiédìngprotocol協定
政协CPPCC (Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference)政協
协作xiézuòcooperation協作
协xiéto help協
协同xiétóngto cooperate協同
足协soccer league足協
齐心协力qíxīnxiélìto pull together齊心協力
协议书xiéyìshūcontract協議書
同心协力to pull together同心協力
协奏曲concerto協奏曲
协办to assist協辦
协和harmony協和
协调员coordinator協調員
协力to unite in common effort協力
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 协议 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 協

Common phrases include 協作 (xiézuò, cooperation) and 協議 (xiéyì, agreement). These terms are frequently used in business and formal discussions.

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