摆动
bǎi dòng · HSK 4
to sway
🔄 摆 = arrange/sway + 动 = move; literally 'sway-move' = to oscillate
摆 (bǎi) means to arrange or sway, as in a pendulum's swing; 动 (dòng) means to move. Together they form a compound verb describing back-and-forth motion. Compare 摆 in 摇摆 (yáobǎi, to rock).
摆 — hand radical 扌 + 罢 bà (phonetic)
摆 is a semantic-phonetic compound: the hand radical 扌 signals an action done with the hands, while 罢 supplies the sound (bà → bǎi). The original sense was to arrange or set things out by hand, which extended to swinging, swaying, and displaying. The simplified form 摆 replaces traditional 擺.
动 — force 力 + heavy/重 (simplified from 動)
The traditional form 動 combines 重 (heavy) as the phonetic with 力 (force/strength) as the semantic, suggesting the effort needed to move something heavy. The simplified form 动 replaces 重 with 云, keeping 力 to convey action and motion.