共同体
gòngtóngtǐ · HSK 7
community
🤝 共同体 = together (共同) + body (体) → one body sharing in common
共 means shared/common, 同 means same, 体 means body or entity. Put together, 共同体 literally reads as a body of shared sameness — a community or collective unit.
共 — 两手 (廾) holding up an object
共 originally depicted two hands raised together, lifting or offering something jointly. The ancient form showed a vessel or object held up by paired hands, conveying shared action. From 'lifting together' it shifted to mean 'together,' 'common,' or 'share.'
同 — 冂 enclosure + 一 + 口 mouth
Originally depicted multiple mouths gathered under one cover or enclosure, suggesting people speaking together in agreement. From this image of voices joining, it came to mean 'same,' 'together,' or 'alike.' The shared cover symbolizes unity.