点赞
diǎn zàn · HSK 5
to like (on social media)
👍 点 = tap/dot + 赞 = praise; tap-to-praise = like
点 means to tap or dot (as in 点击 click), and 赞 means praise or approval. Together 点赞 is literally tap-praise, the standard verb for hitting the like button on Weibo, WeChat, Douyin and other social apps.
点 — fire radical 灬 + 占 (zhān, phonetic)
Originally written 點, a semantic-phonetic compound: 黑 (black) gave the meaning 'small black mark or dot' while 占 supplied the sound. It first referred to ink spots, then extended to 'point, drop, a little,' and verbs like 'to mark' or 'to light (a fire),' reflected in the simplified form's 灬 (fire) component.