护士
hùshì · HSK 4
nurse
👩⚕️ 护 (protect) + 士 (scholar/professional) = protector professional → nurse
护 means protect or guard; 士 originally meant a learned person or trained specialist (also in 战士 warrior, 博士 doctor). Together: a trained professional whose job is to protect and care for patients.
护 — speech radical 讠 + 户 (door/household)
Originally written 護, combining the speech radical 言 with the phonetic 蒦. The simplified form 护 replaces the right side with 户 (door/household), suggesting guarding a home. The core meaning has long been 'to protect, defend, or shield.'