干

gàn

oppose, interfere; dry; stem or axis.

Meaning

Dryness / Aridity: Used as a descriptive adjective ("dry," "arid") or a stative verb ("to become dry").
Conflict and Obstruction: To obstruct, oppose, interfere, or meddle. In political contexts, this includes remonstrating (formally opposing the will of a superior or an official decision).
Military: To invade or attack; to breach a border.
Stem / Axis: The trunk of a plant or a central axis (e.g., the Heavenly Stems 天干).

Grammar and usage

When denoting dryness, it typically functions as an adjective or intransitive verb.
When denoting conflict, interference, or invasion, it is almost exclusively transitive.

Distinctions

Interchangeability: Often serves as a shorthand for 乾 (dry).
Contrast with 幹: While both can mean "stem," 幹 is more frequently associated with management, execution, or functional roles. In early texts these may overlap, but a shift toward 幹 often signals a move from a natural stem to an administrative or active role.

History and forms

Variants: U+2CEAD (semantic); U+4E7E, U+5E72, U+5E79 (traditional).

Graphical notes

Rooted in the image of a shield or blocking action.

Decontextualized translator aid. This page describes plausible lexical range; it does not choose what the glyph means in a particular passage.