抽签
choū qiān · HSK 7
to draw lots
🎋 chōu qiān = pull out + stick — you draw a stick from a bundle to learn your fate
抽 means to pull or draw out, 签 means a thin stick or slip. Together: pulling a divination stick from a container at a temple, or drawing lots to decide something by chance.
抽 — hand radical 扌 + 由 yóu (phonetic)
抽 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The hand radical 扌 gives the meaning—an action done with the hand—while 由 supplies the sound (yóu → chōu). The original sense was to pull or draw out by hand, which extends to modern meanings like 'extract', 'draw (a lot)', or 'take time out'.
签 — bamboo radical 竹 (⺮) + 佥 (qiān, phonetic)
Originally written 籤, this character depicts bamboo strips (⺮) used as markers, tags, or lots drawn for divination. The component 佥 supplies the sound. Over time the meaning broadened from physical bamboo slips to labels, signatures, and signing one's name.