天
tiān · HSK 1
day
☁️ 天 = 一 (one/top) + 大 (big person) — the sky above a person
Originally a pictograph of a person 大 with a flat line marking the head or what lies above it: the heavens. Core meanings branch from sky: day, weather, heaven.
天 — 一 (one/sky) above 大 (big person)
Originally a pictograph of a person (大) with an emphasized head, representing what is above — the sky or heavens. The top stroke evolved into 一, symbolizing the vast expanse overhead. From 'sky' it extended to mean 'day,' 'heaven,' and 'nature.'