接着
jiēzhe · HSK 2
to catch and hold on; to continue
➡️ 接 = receive/connect + 着 = ongoing particle; 'carrying on next'
接 means to receive or connect (one thing follows another), and 着 marks a continuing state. Together 接着 literally reads as 'connecting-onward' — the next thing that follows, or right after.
接 — hand 扌 + concubine 妾 (phonetic)
接 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The hand radical 扌 carries the meaning of receiving or joining with the hand, while 妾 supplies the sound. From 'taking with the hand' it broadened to 'receive, meet, connect, join together'.
着 — sheep 羊 (top) + eye 目 (bottom)
着 originated as a variant of 著, which depicted plants emerging visibly above ground (grass radical 艹 over 者). Over time 着 split off to carry meanings like 'attach,' 'wear,' or a verb suffix marking ongoing action (zhe), while 著 kept senses like 'manifest' or 'author.'