一些
yīxiē · HSK 1
some
一 (one) + 些 (few/several) = a small amount, some
一 means 'one' and 些 means 'a few' or 'several' as a measure-like word for indefinite quantity. Together 一些 literally reads as 'one-few', giving the sense of 'some' or 'a few' of something.
一 — single horizontal stroke
一 is one of the simplest pictographs in Chinese, depicting a single horizontal line to represent the number one. It has retained essentially the same form since oracle bone script over 3,000 years ago. By extension it also means 'first,' 'whole,' or 'same.'
些 — 此 (this) + 二 (two)
些 combines 此 'this' with 二 'two', originally suggesting 'this and that few' — a small, indefinite quantity. It has long functioned as a measure word for an unspecified small amount, equivalent to 'some' or 'a few' in English. The modern meaning preserves this ancient sense of vague plurality.