支付
zhīfù · HSK 3
pay
💰 支付 = branch/pay-out (支) + hand-over (付) — to pay out
支 means to disburse or pay out (also a branch); 付 means to hand over or entrust. Together 支付 literally describes the act of handing money out — used for payments, transactions, and settling bills.
支 — hand 又 holding a branch 十
Originally a pictograph showing a hand (又) holding a branch broken from a tree, depicting the act of supporting or propping something up. From this came meanings like 'branch,' 'to support,' and 'to pay out.' It also serves as a phonetic component in characters like 枝 (branch) and 技 (skill).
付 — person radical 亻 + hand 寸
付 originally pictured a hand (寸) reaching out to hand something to a person (亻), depicting the act of giving or delivering. The core sense 'to hand over, deliver, pay' has remained stable since ancient bronze inscriptions. It also serves as a phonetic component in characters like 附, 符, and 府.