沾光
zhān guāng · HSK 7
fig. to benefit from association with sb or sth
💡 沾 touch + 光 light = to touch someone's light, i.e. benefit from their glow
沾 — water 氵 + divine 占 (phonetic)
沾 is a phono-semantic compound: 氵 (water) gives the meaning 'moisten, get wet,' while 占 supplies the sound zhān. Originally it referred to being dampened or soaked by water, and it later extended to figurative senses like 'be touched by' or 'gain a share of' something.
光 — fire 火 (top) + person 儿 (bottom)
Originally a pictograph of a person with fire above their head, depicting a torchbearer or the radiance from a flame. The character evolved to mean 'light' or 'brightness' in general, and by extension 'glory' and 'to shine.' The modern top component is a stylized form of 火 (fire).