显而易见
xiǎn ér yì jiàn · HSK 7
obviously
👀 显 = visible/show + 而 (and) + 易 = easy + 见 = to see: visible-and-easy-to-see
Four-part chain: 显 (to show/appear) + 而 (linking 'and') + 易 (easy) + 见 (to see). Literally show-and-easy-see, so the thing reveals itself plainly — obviously, it goes without saying.
显 — sun 日 + head/page 頁 (simplified from 顯)
Originally 顯, showing a head 頁 looking at silk threads under the sun 日, suggesting things made visible or apparent. The meaning extended from 'clearly seen' to 'manifest, evident, prominent.' Simplified to 显 by reducing the silk-and-head element to a small mark beneath 日.
而 — pictograph of beard/whiskers hanging from chin
Originally a pictograph of a beard or facial hair hanging below the chin, visible clearly in oracle bone and bronze script forms. The beard meaning was lost early, and the character was borrowed phonetically to write the grammatical conjunction 'and/but/yet'. This connective use has been standard since classical Chinese.
见 — eye 目 over legs 儿 (人)
见 (traditional 見) is a pictograph of a person 儿 with a large eye 目 on top, emphasizing the act of seeing. The original meaning 'to see' broadened over time to include 'to meet,' 'to perceive,' and 'view/opinion.' The simplified form 见 keeps the same structure in cursive shorthand.