怜惜
lián xī · HSK 7
to take pity on
💗 怜 pity + 惜 cherish — both carry the heart radical 忄, so it's all heart
怜 means to pity and 惜 means to cherish or spare; stacked together they push toward tender, protective feeling. The shared 忄 (heart) radical on both characters marks this as an emotion word, not an action.