启蒙
qǐ méng · HSK 7
to awake sb from ignorance
💡 启 open + 蒙 cover-of-ignorance = pull the cover off a young mind
启 means to open, 蒙 means a cover or being in the dark. Together: lift the lid off ignorance, the start of learning. The Enlightenment era is called 启蒙运动 in Chinese.
蒙 — grass 艹 + cover 冖 + one 一 + pig 豕
Originally depicted a parasitic dodder vine (the 'covered' plant) growing over another plant, hence the sense of covering or concealing. The character later extended to mean 'to deceive' or 'cover the eyes,' and by extension 'ignorant' or 'dim.' The 艹 top hints at the plant origin while the lower elements suggest something hidden beneath.