抚养费
fǔ yǎng fèi · HSK 7
child support payment (after a divorce)
💰👶 抚 nurture + 养 raise + 费 fee = fee to nurture and raise (a child)
抚 (fǔ) means to comfort or nurture, 养 (yǎng) means to raise or rear, and 费 (fèi) means fee or expense. Together: the fee paid to nurture and raise a child, i.e. child support after divorce.
养 — sheep 羊 (top) + 八 over 艮-like base; simplified from 養 (食 + 羊)
The traditional form 養 combined 食 'food' with 羊 'sheep' as the phonetic, depicting the act of feeding sheep and, by extension, raising or nourishing living things. The simplified form 养 keeps 羊 on top but drops the 食 component. From 'feed' the meaning broadened to rear, support, and cultivate.
费 — 弓 bow + 弗 (phonetic 'fú/fèi')
费 is a phono-semantic compound. The bottom 贝 (cowrie shell, ancient money) gives the meaning 'cost/expense,' while 弗 on top supplies the sound. Originally it referred to spending money or wasting resources, and today it means 'fee,' 'expense,' or 'to consume.'