景象
jǐngxiàng · HSK 5
scene
🏞️ 景 = scene/view + 象 = appearance/image; together a scene's appearance
景 (jǐng) means scenery or view, and 象 (xiàng) means appearance or image. Combined, 景象 names the look of a scene — a spectacle, vista, or set of prospects unfolding before an observer.
景 — sun 日 on top + capital 京 below (phonetic)
景 is a semantic-phonetic compound: 日 (sun) gives the meaning and 京 (jīng, capital) supplies the sound. It originally meant 'sunlight' or 'bright', then extended to 'shadow cast by sunlight', and later broadened to 'scenery' or 'view'.