宣称
xuānchēng · HSK 7
to assert; to claim
📢 宣 declare + 称 state/call = to publicly claim or profess something
宣 means proclaim or announce (as in 宣布, announce); 称 means to state or call. Together 宣称 is to openly assert or avow, often a claim made publicly without proof.
称 — grain 禾 + 尔 (phonetic)
称 is a semantic-phonetic compound: the grain radical 禾 on the left points to weighing grain on a balance, while 尔 hints at the sound. It originally meant 'to weigh' on a steelyard, then extended to 'to state the weight of,' and finally to general senses like 'to call,' 'to name,' or 'title.'