来临
láilín · HSK 7
come
来临 = 来 (come) + 临 (draw near) — a coming that draws near, an arrival approaching
来 means come and 临 means to draw near or be present at. Stacked, 来临 names something arriving or approaching, often abstract: spring, night, or an opportunity 来临 (comes upon you).
来 — pictograph of a wheat plant with grain heads
来 originally depicted a stalk of wheat with drooping grain heads, and meant 'wheat' in oracle bone script. It was later borrowed phonetically to write the unrelated verb 'to come,' which became its dominant meaning. The original 'wheat' sense was taken over by 麥 (now 麦).
临 — person 亻(臥 lying down) + goods 品
Originally a pictograph of a person bending over to look down at objects (品), depicting someone overseeing or inspecting from above. The meaning extended from 'looking down upon' to 'approaching,' 'arriving at,' and 'being present at' a place or event. Modern uses like 临时 (temporary) preserve the sense of being momentarily present.