增值
zēng zhí · HSK 6
to increase in value
📈💰 增 (increase) + 值 (value) = value goes up
zēng means to increase or add, zhí means value or worth. Together they literally say increase-value — appreciation in the financial sense, or the value-added in accounting.
增 — earth 土 + 曾 (phonetic, 'layer/repeat')
A semantic-phonetic compound: 土 ('earth') gives the meaning, while 曾 supplies the sound and hints at 'layered, piled up.' The original sense was piling earth higher and higher, which generalized to 'increase, add to.' 曾 itself depicts a tiered steamer, reinforcing the idea of stacking.
值 — person radical 亻 + 直 (straight/upright)
A semantic-phonetic compound. The person radical 亻 gives the meaning, while 直 (straight, upright) supplies the sound zhí. Originally referring to a person standing in for duty or watch, it extended to mean 'worth,' 'value,' and 'to be on duty.'