中奖
zhòng jiǎng · HSK 4
to win a prize
🎉🎟️ 中 = hit/strike + 奖 = prize/award
中 here is the verb sense to hit the mark, the same 中 as in 中毒 (struck by poison). 奖 means prize or reward. So 中奖 literally is to strike the prize — to win the lottery.
中 — vertical stroke 丨 through enclosure 口
Pictograph of a banner or pole piercing the center of a target or territory, depicting the idea of 'middle' or 'center'. The horizontal frame represents boundaries, and the vertical line marks the central axis. The meaning extended from spatial center to 'middle, central, China' (中国, the Middle Kingdom).
奖 — 将 jiāng (phonetic) + 大 (big)
Originally written 獎 with 犬 (dog) below 將, suggesting urging a dog onward—hence 'encourage, exhort.' The simplified form replaces 犬 with 大. Meaning extended from 'encourage' to 'reward' and then to 'prize, award.'