折叠
zhé dié · HSK 7
to fold
🪭 折 (snap/fold) + 叠 (stack up) = fold and stack flat
折 zhé means to snap or fold; 叠 dié means to stack or pile up in layers. Together 折叠 is folding something so its layers stack flat — a folding bike, fan, or antenna collapses down this way.
折 — hand 扌 + axe 斤
Originally written as 折 with a hand (扌) breaking or chopping something with an axe (斤), depicting the act of snapping or cutting in two. The core meaning 'to break, snap, fold' extends metaphorically to 'bend,' 'turn back,' and 'discount' (as in reducing a price by breaking off part).
叠 — three 又 (hands) over 宜 (shelf/altar)
Originally written with three 田 stacked above 宜, depicting layers piled on a stand — the core idea of stacking or repeating. Modern form simplifies the top to three 又. It now means to fold, pile up, or repeat.