子孙
zǐsūn · HSK 7
posterity
👶 子 child + 孙 grandchild = descendants down the family line
子 means son or child; 孙 means grandchild. Stack the generations and you get 子孙: posterity, the descendants who carry a family forward. The 子 root in 孙 even nests a child inside the grandchild character.
子 — pictograph of a baby/child with arms out
子 began as a pictograph of a swaddled infant with a large head and outstretched arms, originally meaning 'baby' or 'child.' From there it broadened to 'son,' 'offspring,' and a respectful suffix for masters like 孔子 (Confucius). It also became one of the twelve earthly branches.