支援
zhīyuán · HSK 6
support
🤝 zhī = branch, yuán = aid — a branch of aid reaching out to support you
支 originally meant a branch or limb, something that props things up. 援 means to pull someone up or lend a hand. Together: extending a limb to pull someone through — backup support.
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).