新郎
xīnláng · HSK 4
groom
🤵 新 (new) + 郎 (young man) = the new young man at the wedding
新 means new; 郎 is an old term for a young man or gentleman. Together, the new young man — the bridegroom on his wedding day. Pairs with 新娘 (xīnniáng, bride), where 娘 swaps in the female counterpart.
新 — 立 stand + 木 tree + 斤 axe
Originally depicted cutting fresh wood with an axe (斤) from a tree (木), with 辛/立 as the phonetic component. The original meaning of 'firewood' was later written as 薪, while 新 took on the extended sense of 'new' or 'fresh'.