器

1. Concrete Receptacle: A vessel, pot, bowl, or box; the primary sense of containment.

2. Functional Instrument: An implement, tool, or device.

3. Ritual/Political Apparatus: In early (Shang/Zhou) or courtly contexts, specifically ritual bronzes (lǐ qì 禮器), signifying political legitimacy and cosmic order.

4. Human Capacity: A metaphorical extension of "volume" referring to a person's caliber, talent, or mental breadth (e.g., the capacity to hold responsibility or office).

Primarily a noun. It can function as a collective noun or classifier for "ware" or "equipment." When appearing alongside specific vessels (such as 鼎 tripod or 盤 basin), it typically serves as the general hypernym. The pairing with 用 (use/function) reinforces the "instrument/tool" sense.

[DISTINITIONS]

In technical or craft contexts, this glyph overlaps with 具 (jù); the distinction lies in a shift from what the object holds (containment) to what it does (function).

Semantic variant: U+5650.

The appearance of semantic variants (such as U+5650) reinforces the glyph's origin as a representation of a physical vessel.