对抗
duìkàng · HSK 6
to withstand; to resist
⚔️ 对 = face/oppose + 抗 = resist → face-and-resist = combat
对 means to face or confront; 抗 means to resist or withstand (as in 抗议 protest). Together they form face-plus-resist: to oppose, fight back, or antagonise an adversary.
对 — 又 (hand) + 寸 (measure/rule)
Originally depicted a hand (又) holding or responding to something, with 寸 added as a phonetic-semantic element suggesting measured action. The traditional form 對 showed a hand presenting an object in reply, giving the core sense of 'to answer' or 'face toward.' Modern meanings like 'correct' and 'pair' grew from this idea of matching response.