包扎
bāo zā · HSK 7
to bind up
🩹 bāo = wrap + zā = tie up — like bandaging a wound
包 means to wrap or package, 扎 means to tie or bind. Together they form the act of wrapping and tying — most commonly used for dressing a wound with bandages.
包 — 勹 wrap + 巳 fetus
包 is a pictograph showing a fetus (巳) wrapped inside a womb (勹, an enclosing shape). The original sense was 'to wrap' or 'enclose,' and it later extended to mean a bundle, package, or bag. It also serves as a phonetic component in many characters like 抱, 泡, and 饱.
扎 — hand radical 扌 + 乚
扎 is a phono-semantic compound. The hand radical 扌 gives the meaning, since the original sense involves piercing, tying, or pulling with the hand, while 乚 hints at the sound. Over time it broadened to cover 'prick,' 'tie up,' and 'plunge into.'