久
jiǔ · HSK 3
for long time
⏳ Etymology: drawing of a person with a heavy load behind, slowing them — taking a long time
久 originally depicted a person dragging something from behind, conveying delay and duration. Today it means 'long time' — as in 很久 (a long while) or 永久 (eternal, permanent).
久 — person 人 with a stroke marking the back
Originally a pictograph showing a person from behind with a mark indicating moxibustion treatment applied to the back, the original sense of 'cauterize' (now written 灸). It was borrowed phonetically to mean 'long time' or 'enduring,' which became its standard meaning.