verb HSK 5
Traditional 喚
to call · to summon · to shout
Meaning
唤 means to call out to someone or something, often with a sense of summoning or awakening. It's more literary and formal than the everyday 叫 (jiào). The character combines 口 (mouth) with 奐 (a phonetic component), suggesting vocal calling.
Usage
唤 appears frequently in written Chinese and formal speech, but is less common in casual conversation where 叫 is preferred. It's often used in compounds like 呼唤 (to call out), 召唤 (to summon), and 唤醒 (to awaken). The tone is somewhat poetic or literary.
Examples
- 01母亲在门口呼唤孩子回家吃饭。.The mother called out to the child at the doorway to come home for dinner.
- 02这首歌唤起了我童年的回忆。.This song evoked my childhood memories.
Common collocations
- 呼唤to call out
- 唤醒to awaken
- 召唤to summon
- 唤起to evoke, to arouse
Origin
The traditional form 喚 combines the mouth radical 口 with the phonetic component 奐 (huàn), which originally meant 'to shine' or 'spread'. The character suggests using one's voice to reach out or summon.