工会
gōnghuì · HSK 7
trade/labor union
🛠️🤝 工会 = work + association (gathering of workers)
工 means work or labor, 会 means meeting, association, or club. Together: an organized association of workers — a trade union. Same 会 appears in 协会 (association) and 开会 (hold a meeting).
会 — 人 person on top + 云 cloud/say below (simplified from 會)
The traditional form 會 showed a lid over a vessel with contents stacked inside, depicting things coming together — hence 'meet, gather, assemble.' From 'gathering' it extended to 'meeting,' then 'understand' (minds meeting) and 'be able to.' The simplified 会 keeps only a schematic top and bottom.