枝
zhī · HSK 6
classifier for sticks, rods, pencils etc
🌿 木 tree + 支 support = a branch; counts stick-shaped things
支 (zhī) means to prop up. Add the 木 wood radical and you get a tree branch — the part that supports leaves. As a measure word it counts pens, chopsticks, and other long thin objects.
枝 — wood 木 + branch 支 (phonetic)
枝 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The 木 component signals 'tree/wood,' while 支 ('branch, to support') gives both the sound 'zhī' and reinforces the meaning. Together they denote a branch or limb of a tree, the literal extension of 支 specialized for woody plants.