复活
fù huó · HSK 7
resurrection
⚰️ 复活 = 复 (return/again) + 活 (alive) — return-to-alive
复 means return or again (as in 重复 repeat); 活 means alive or living (as in 生活 life). Stitched together: return-to-alive, i.e. resurrection. The Christian holiday 复活节 is literally return-to-life festival.
活 — water radical 氵 + tongue 舌
Originally a phono-semantic compound: 氵 (water) suggests flowing or liveliness, while 舌 (tongue) hints at the sound. Early forms depicted gushing water, conveying the idea of being lively or alive. The meaning broadened from 'flowing water' to 'living, alive, active.'