减轻
jiǎnqīng · HSK 5
ease
🪶 减 = reduce + 轻 = light; reduce-light = lighten the load
减 (jiǎn) means reduce or subtract; 轻 (qīng) means light in weight. Together they literally read reduce-to-light, matching the English sense of lighten or ease a burden.
减 — water 氵 + 咸 (xián, all/salty)
A semantic-phonetic compound. The water radical 氵 gives the meaning, originally suggesting water decreasing or draining away, while 咸 supplies the sound (jiǎn shifted from xián). From 'water lessening' the sense broadened to 'reduce, subtract, diminish' in general use.
轻 — vehicle radical 车 + 巠 (phonetic)
轻 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The left side 车 (vehicle) gives the meaning, originally referring to a light, swift chariot. The right side 巠 supplies the sound. Over time the meaning broadened from 'light cart' to 'light in weight' and figuratively 'slight' or 'gentle'.