应聘
yìng pìn · HSK 7
to apply for an advertised position
💼 应 respond + 聘 to-hire = respond to a hiring call → apply for the job
应 (yìng) means to respond or answer; 聘 (pìn) means to engage or hire someone. Together they mean responding to a recruiter's call — applying for an advertised post. Pair it with 招聘 (zhāopìn, to recruit): the company 招聘, the candidate 应聘.
应 — 广 (shelter) + 心 (heart) + 隹 (bird)
Originally written 應, this character combined a phonetic component with 心 (heart) to suggest 'responding from the heart' or 'answering a call'. The simplified form 应 keeps the top portion. Over time it broadened from 'respond/answer' to also mean 'should' or 'ought to'.
聘 — ear 耳 + 甹 (phonetic)
聘 is a phono-semantic compound. The ear radical 耳 hints at meaning related to listening or formal communication, while 甹 supplies the sound. Originally it referred to a ceremonial visit or formal inquiry between states, later extending to engaging or hiring someone.