出入
chūrù · HSK 6
come in and go out
🚪 出 = exit + 入 = enter; literally exit-enter = come and go
出 means to go out and 入 means to enter, so 出入 pairs the two opposites to mean coming in and going out. Common on signs marking entrances, exits, and access points.
出 — foot 止 emerging from enclosure 凵
出 is a pictograph showing a foot or plant stepping out of a hollow or enclosure, depicting the act of going forth. The original sense of 'coming out' or 'emerging' has remained stable since oracle bone script. It now broadly means 'to exit, go out, or produce.'
入 — single pictograph, two slanting strokes
入 is a pictograph showing an arrowhead or pointed entrance, with two strokes converging downward to suggest something going inward. The original sense was 'to enter,' and it still carries that meaning today. It contrasts visually with 人 (person), where the strokes cross differently at the top.