I personally understand %hash as the "list form" of a hash.

You assign lists and you get lists of elements.

i.e. %hash2 = %hash will copy the lists of key-value pairs into a new hash.

$hash_ref = \%hash is a pointer to the container.

$hash_ref2 = $hash_ref will share the same hash.

changing $hash_ref2->{a}++ will also effect $hash_ref

Many other languages only know the reference form. Like in JS hash={...} is a hash_ref.

HTH!