替身
tì shēn · HSK 7
substitute
👥 替 replace + 身 body = a replacement body — a body double or stand-in
替 means to replace or substitute; 身 means body or person. Put together, a replaced body is exactly a stand-in, substitute, or stuntman who steps in for someone else.
替 — two 夫 (man) over 曰 (say)
Originally written with two 立 (stand) over 白, depicting two people side by side, suggesting replacement or alternation. The form evolved to two 夫 over 曰. The core meaning shifted from 'decline/abolish' to 'replace, substitute for'.
身 — pictograph of a pregnant body
身 is a pictograph originally depicting a person with a swollen belly, representing a pregnant woman in profile. Over time the meaning broadened from 'pregnancy' or 'torso' to refer to the body in general, and by extension oneself or one's person.