出血
chūxiě · HSK 7
to bleed; bleeding; (fig.) to spend money in large amounts
🩸 chū (exit) + xiě (blood) = blood coming out = bleeding
The first character 出 means exit or come out. The second 血 means blood. Together they literally describe blood exiting the body — a straightforward compound that reads like a medical description.
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.'
血 — drop 丿 over dish 皿
Originally a pictograph of a sacrificial vessel (皿) with a drop of blood inside, marking the offering of blood in ancient rituals. The small stroke on top represents the blood itself. Over time it broadened from ritual blood to blood in general.