挂念
guà niàn · HSK 7
to feel anxious about; to have (sth) weighing on one's mind
💭 挂 = hang + 念 = thought — a thought hung in the mind
挂 means to hang or suspend; 念 means thought or to miss. Together: a thought left hanging, unresolved — you keep being concerned about someone or something.
挂 — hand radical 扌 + 圭 (jade tablet, phonetic)
挂 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The hand radical 扌 gives the meaning, since hanging something requires the hand to place it on a hook or peg. The right side 圭 (guī, a jade tablet) supplies the sound, close to the modern reading guà. Originally written 掛, it meant to suspend or hang up.
念 — 今 (now, phonetic) + 心 (heart)
念 is a semantic-phonetic compound: 心 (heart) gives the meaning, while 今 (now) supplies the sound. The original sense was 'what is on the heart right now' — a thought held in mind. From this came the modern meanings 'to think of,' 'to miss,' and 'to recite' (holding words in mind).