敬礼
jìng lǐ · HSK 7
to salute
🫡 敬 respect + 礼 courtesy/rite = a salute, the formal gesture of respect
敬 (jìng) means to respect or honor; 礼 (lǐ) means ceremony, courtesy, or rite. Stacked together they form the respectful ceremonial gesture: a salute.
敬 — 苟 (gǒu, phonetic) + 攵 (tap/strike)
Originally depicted a person being urged or disciplined with a stick (攵), with 苟 providing the sound. The early sense was 'to warn' or 'to be on guard,' which extended to careful, attentive behavior. From there it shifted to 'respect' and 'reverence,' the modern meaning.
礼 — 示 (altar/ritual) + 乚 (simplified from 豊)
Originally 禮, showing 示 (altar) beside 豊 (a ritual vessel of grain), depicting offerings made at a shrine. The character meant religious ceremony, then broadened to social rites, courtesy, and gifts. The simplified form 礼 keeps 示 and replaces 豊 with the abbreviated 乚.