<p>This is actually not one character, but a stylistic conglomeration of the characters in the phrase <a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E6%8B%9B%E8%B2%A1%E9%80%B2%E5%AF%B6">招財進寶</a>, meaning "ushering in wealth and prosperity".</p>

<p>The characters 財 and 寶 end up being represented with the same 貝 component in this "character". While the left side of 招 (扌) and the right side of 財 (才) are technically not the same component, they look similar enough to be represented with the same component here as well.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-13T22:06:28.410Z
2015-04-13T22:06:28.410Z
Claw
<p>For people to understand better...</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/DgkPE.jpg" alt="zhao"></p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/jE9Cu.jpg" alt="cai"></p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/zayfh.jpg" alt="jin"></p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/zm6F7.jpg" alt="bao"></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-27T08:48:22.253Z
nice pictures! I think it's better to put on each character above each picture.
AGamePlayer
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-16T03:35:51.553Z
2015-04-16T03:35:51.553Z
FortCpp
<p>They're called 合文! (combined characters ) or 合书！ </p>

<p><a href="http://baike.baidu.com/view/2915764.htm">http://baike.baidu.com/view/2915764.htm</a></p>

<p>( Good question - I was also curious about this a while back ) </p>

<p>：） </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-18T02:44:39.247Z
2015-04-18T02:44:39.247Z
3龙花
<p>招财进宝 means to bring in wealth and treasure for family -- felicitous wish of making money; amass fortunes</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-23T03:59:02.273Z
Unfortunately answering in simplified characters doesn't help here... The characters are quite different from the 合文...
dda
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-12-23T03:18:58.403Z
2015-12-23T03:18:58.403Z
Mike Wang
<p>Welcome more questions Thomas. </p>

<p>Very good answer above.</p>

<p>It is a Spring Couplet 挥春/揮春. 招財進寶 is an auspicious saying to wish families more wealth and treasure. Chinese paste this on the front door or wall before the Chinese New Year. And they renew it annually. Some companies hope like this lucky saying so they paste it too. Besides, "福"(fu) is very popular too. Every family would paste it upside down on their doors.</p>

<p>Here is the pronunciation:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>招財進寶 zhāo cái jìn bǎo</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-14T13:44:20.050Z
Thanks for adding to @Claw's answer! Wish I can mark two accepted answer. :/
Thomas Hsieh
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-14T06:05:13.487Z
2015-05-08T07:22:03.153Z
2015-05-08T07:22:03.153Z
kinson zhao
<p>I randomly saw this character on the blog a while ago and saved a image of it as shown below.</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/AscxQ.jpg" alt="Some Complex Character"></p>

<p>Is this even a character? If so, what does it mean? When is it used? What was the origin of it? How do you pronounce it?</p>

<p>I apologize for throwing lots of questions. Any help is appreciated!</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-13T23:39:13.657Z
Never apologize for asking too much.
ʇolɐǝz ǝɥʇ qoq
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-18T02:50:50.240Z
This is 合文 and they all pronounce by the components, not just this character.
Dejavision
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-03T21:08:09.937Z
possible duplicate of [An unknown Traditional Chinese character on a decorative piece for Lunar New Year](http://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/12410/an-unknown-traditional-chinese-character-on-a-decorative-piece-for-lunar-new-yea)
Claw
<meaning><usage><etymology><character-identification><glyph-origin>
A Complex Chinese Character (Characters Identified: 招財進寶)
# A Complex Chinese Character (Characters Identified: 招財進寶)

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-04-13)

I randomly saw this character on the blog a while ago and saved a image of it as shown below.

![Some Complex Character](https://i.sstatic.net/AscxQ.jpg)

Is this even a character? If so, what does it mean? When is it used? What was the origin of it? How do you pronounce it?

I apologize for throwing lots of questions. Any help is appreciated!

**Tags:** meaning, usage, etymology, character-identification, glyph-origin
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Never apologize for asking too much.  
> **username_2**: This is 合文 and they all pronounce by the components, not just this character.  
> **username_3**: possible duplicate of [An unknown Traditional Chinese character on a decorative piece for Lunar New Year](http://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/12410/an-unknown-traditional-chinese-character-on-a-decorative-piece-for-lunar-new-yea)  

---

## 5 answers

### Answer by username_9 on 2015-04-14. Score: 8 | Accepted answer

Welcome more questions Thomas.

Very good answer above.

It is a Spring Couplet 挥春/揮春. 招財進寶 is an auspicious saying to wish families more wealth and treasure. Chinese paste this on the front door or wall before the Chinese New Year. And they renew it annually. Some companies hope like this lucky saying so they paste it too. Besides, "福"(fu) is very popular too. Every family would paste it upside down on their doors.

Here is the pronunciation:

> 招財進寶 zhāo cái jìn bǎo

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks for adding to @Claw's answer! Wish I can mark two accepted answer. :/  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2015-04-13. Score: 22

This is actually not one character, but a stylistic conglomeration of the characters in the phrase [招財進寶](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E6%8B%9B%E8%B2%A1%E9%80%B2%E5%AF%B6), meaning "ushering in wealth and prosperity".

The characters 財 and 寶 end up being represented with the same 貝 component in this "character". While the left side of 招 (扌) and the right side of 財 (才) are technically not the same component, they look similar enough to be represented with the same component here as well.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2015-04-16. Score: 16

For people to understand better...

![zhao](https://i.sstatic.net/DgkPE.jpg)

![cai](https://i.sstatic.net/jE9Cu.jpg)

![jin](https://i.sstatic.net/zayfh.jpg)

![bao](https://i.sstatic.net/zm6F7.jpg)

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: nice pictures! I think it's better to put on each character above each picture.  

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### Answer by username_6 on 2015-04-18. Score: 5

They're called 合文! (combined characters ) or 合书！

<http://baike.baidu.com/view/2915764.htm>

( Good question - I was also curious about this a while back )

：）


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### Answer by username_7 on 2015-12-23. Score: 1

招财进宝 means to bring in wealth and treasure for family -- felicitous wish of making money; amass fortunes

> **Comments:**
> **username_8**: Unfortunately answering in simplified characters doesn't help here... The characters are quite different from the 合文...  

---

