单位
dānwèi · HSK 2
unit
🏢 单位 = single + position → one work-unit (a workplace or measure)
单 means single/sole and 位 means position or place. Together they name a 'single position' — either a unit of measurement or, in everyday speech, the danwei: someone's workplace or employer.
单 — 叩 (two mouths 口) over 甲 (shield/armor)
Originally a pictograph of a forked hunting weapon or shield with two prongs at the top. The ancient form shows a Y-shaped tool, later stylized into the modern shape. The meaning shifted from the weapon to 'single' or 'one,' possibly because it was a single-handed tool.
位 — person radical 亻 + stand 立
位 combines the person radical 亻 with 立 (to stand), originally depicting a person standing in their proper place at court. It came to mean 'position, rank, or place,' and is now also used as a polite measure word for people.