树枝
shùzhī · HSK 7
branch
🌿 树枝 = tree (树) + branch (枝); the branch part of a tree
树 means tree and 枝 means branch or limb, so 树枝 is literally a tree-branch. The shù sound carries the tree meaning; zhī is the branch.
树 — wood 木 + 對 (phonetic, simplified to 对)
树 originally combined 木 'tree' with 尌, suggesting planting something upright. The right side served mainly as a phonetic clue, while 木 carried the meaning. Over time it came to mean both 'tree' and the verb 'to plant' or 'establish'.
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.