出国
chūguó · HSK 2
go abroad (from one's own country)
✈️🌍 出国 = 出 (exit/go out) + 国 (country)
出 shows a foot stepping out of an enclosure — the original sense of leaving. 国 is a country (a jewel 玉 sealed inside borders 囗). Together: exit the country, i.e. go abroad.
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.'
国 — enclosure 囗 + jade 玉
国 is a simplified form of 國. The outer 囗 represents borders or an enclosed territory, while the inner 玉 (jade) suggests a treasured realm ruled by a sovereign. The traditional 國 used 或 inside, depicting a guarded region with a weapon, later simplified by replacing it with 玉.