停业
tíng yè · HSK 7
to close down
🚫🏪 停 stop + 业 business = stop doing business = close down
停 (tíng) means stop or halt; 业 (yè) means trade, business, or industry. Stack them and a shop stops its trade — it ceases operating, whether for the day or for good.
停 — person 亻 + pavilion 亭
A semantic-phonetic compound: 亻 (person) gives the meaning, while 亭 (pavilion, also pronounced tíng) supplies the sound. The image is of a person stopping at a roadside pavilion to rest, which yields the modern senses 'to stop, halt, park.'
业 — top 业 (originally a notched board)
Originally a pictograph of a notched wooden board hung in ancient classrooms or temples to support bells and chimes. The notches inspired meanings of 'work' and 'profession,' as such boards were tools of trade and study. Today it means business, occupation, or undertaking.