主张
zhǔzhāng · HSK 3
advocate
📣 主 (master) + 张 (stretch/assert) = master's stretched-out stance
主 means master or main; 张 means to stretch, open, or assert. Together: to stretch out one's main position — to advocate or maintain a stance. Think of a master extending an argument outward as their declared view.
主 — flame/lamp on top of a stand 王
Originally a pictograph of a lamp with a flame on top of its stand, representing the lord or master of the household who tended the fire. The meaning extended from 'lamp/host' to 'master, owner, main, principal'. The character 炷 (wick) preserves the original 'lamp' sense.
张 — bow 弓 + long 长 (phonetic)
张 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The left side 弓 (bow) gives the meaning, originally referring to stringing or drawing a bow. The right side 长 supplies the sound. From 'draw a bow' it extended to 'stretch, open, spread,' and is now also a very common surname.