响应
xiǎng yìng · HSK 7
to respond to
🔔 响 echo + 应 answer = an echo that answers back, to respond
响 means sound or echo; 应 means to answer or comply. Together a response is the answering echo that comes back after a call, like a bell rung and ringing in return.
响 — mouth 口 + village/hometown 乡
Originally written 響, combining 鄉 (village, phonetic) with 音 (sound), suggesting sound echoing through a hometown valley. The simplified form 响 replaces 音 with 口 (mouth) as a semantic hint and 乡 as the phonetic. It means sound, echo, or to make noise.
应 — 广 (shelter) + 心 (heart) + 隹 (bird)
Originally written 應, this character combined a phonetic component with 心 (heart) to suggest 'responding from the heart' or 'answering a call'. The simplified form 应 keeps the top portion. Over time it broadened from 'respond/answer' to also mean 'should' or 'ought to'.