工序
gōng xù · HSK 7
process
⚙️ 工序 = 工 (work) + 序 (sequence/order)
工 means work or labor; 序 means order or sequence. Together they name the ordered steps of a working procedure — the sequence in which work gets done.
序 — 广 radical (shelter) + 予 (give/I)
Originally depicted the side walls or wings of a building under the 广 (shelter) radical, with 予 serving as the phonetic component. From 'side wall' it extended to mean 'sequence' or 'order,' as walls were arranged in succession. Today it commonly means 'order,' 'sequence,' or 'preface.'