尖端
jiān duān · HSK 7
the tip
📍 尖 = small 小 on top of big 大 = a point; + 端 end = the sharp tip
尖 — small 小 on top + big 大 on bottom
尖 is a compound ideograph: 小 (small) sits above 大 (big), depicting something that tapers from broad to narrow — a point or tip. It's a relatively late character, formed by meaning-combination rather than sound, and still means 'pointed,' 'sharp,' or 'tip' today.
端 — 立 stand + 耑 (phonetic, sprout)
端 combines 立 'to stand' with phonetic 耑, which originally depicted a plant sprouting with roots and shoots — its tips at both ends. The semantic 立 reinforces 'upright,' giving 端 meanings like 'end, tip, extremity' and by extension 'upright, proper.'