导弹
dǎo dàn · HSK 7
missile
🚀 dǎo dàn = guide + bullet — a guided bullet is a missile
导 means to guide or lead, 弹 means bullet or projectile. Together they literally say guided projectile, which is exactly what a missile is — a projectile steered to its target.
弹 — bow 弓 + single 单 (phonetic)
Originally a pictograph of a bow with a pellet ready to launch, 弹 depicted a slingshot or pellet bow. The form was later regularized as a phono-semantic compound: 弓 (bow) gives the meaning of shooting or springing, while 单 supplies the sound. Modern senses—bullet, to pluck, to spring—all extend from this shooting/elastic-release idea.