波折
bō zhé · HSK 7
twists and turns
🌊 波 wave + 折 bend — waves that keep folding = setbacks and complications
When life has 波折, it rolls like waves (波) that keep folding back (折). Each bend is a setback or complication you push through before the next one hits.
折 — hand 扌 + axe 斤
Originally written as 折 with a hand (扌) breaking or chopping something with an axe (斤), depicting the act of snapping or cutting in two. The core meaning 'to break, snap, fold' extends metaphorically to 'bend,' 'turn back,' and 'discount' (as in reducing a price by breaking off part).