支出
zhīchū · HSK 5
to spend
💸 支 = branch/disburse + 出 = go out — money branching outward
支 means to pay out or disburse; 出 means to exit or go out. Together: funds going out, i.e. expenditure. Common in accounting pairs like 收入/支出 (income/expenditure).
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).
出 — foot 止 emerging from enclosure 凵
出 is a pictograph showing a foot or plant stepping out of a hollow or enclosure, depicting the act of going forth. The original sense of 'coming out' or 'emerging' has remained stable since oracle bone script. It now broadly means 'to exit, go out, or produce.'