同伴
tóngbàn · HSK 7
companion
👬 同 = same + 伴 = companion: a companion who shares the same path — your associate
伴 pairs the person radical 亻with 半 (half), the half who completes you. Add 同 (same) and 同伴 is the same-side partner: a chum, associate, or friend you move alongside.
同 — 冂 enclosure + 一 + 口 mouth
Originally depicted multiple mouths gathered under one cover or enclosure, suggesting people speaking together in agreement. From this image of voices joining, it came to mean 'same,' 'together,' or 'alike.' The shared cover symbolizes unity.
伴 — person radical 亻 + half 半
A semantic-phonetic compound: 亻(person) gives the meaning and 半 (bàn, 'half') supplies the sound while also hinting at 'one of a pair.' The original sense was 'companion' or 'partner,' someone who is your other half, and from there it extended to 'accompany.'