同胞
tóngbāo · HSK 6
countrymen
👫 同 same + 胞 womb — from the same womb, siblings or compatriots
胞 literally means placenta or cell membrane. People from the same womb are siblings; by extension, people from the same motherland are fellow countrymen. Tóngbāo: same-womb kin.
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.