供给
gōngjǐ · HSK 6
supply
📦 供 = offer/supply + 给 = give; both halves mean 'provide'
供 (gōng) means to offer or supply, and 给 (jǐ) means to give or provide. Together they reinforce each other into the formal verb 'to supply' — common in economics (供给 vs 需求, supply vs demand).
供 — person radical 亻 + 共 (together)
A semantic-phonetic compound: 亻 (person) gives the meaning of human action while 共 (together, gōng) supplies the sound. Originally meaning to present or offer jointly, it extended to 'supply, provide.' A second reading gòng means to make an offering or confess.
给 — silk radical 纟 + 合 (combine)
Originally a phono-semantic compound: 纟 (silk) hinted at the meaning of joining threads tightly, while 合 ('combine, join') gave the sound. The early sense was 'supply' or 'provide,' which extended naturally to 'give.' In modern Mandarin it splits into gěi ('give') and jǐ ('supply').