相依为命
xiāng yī wéi mìng · HSK 7
to rely upon one another for survival
🤝 相 mutually + 依 lean-on + 为 for + 命 life = leaning on each other to survive
Literal breakdown: 相 (each other) + 依 (depend/lean) + 为命 (make a living / for life). Names two people who keep each other alive by relying on one another, often a sole parent and child.
依 — person radical 亻 + clothing 衣
A semantic-phonetic compound: 亻(person) gives the meaning of relying on someone, while 衣 (yī, clothing) supplies the sound. The original sense pictured a person leaning on or wrapped in clothing, extended to the modern meanings of 'rely on,' 'depend on,' and 'according to.'
为 — simplified form of 為; from 爪 (claw/hand) over 象 (elephant)
The traditional form 為 originally depicted a hand leading an elephant, suggesting the act of doing or making work. Over time it generalized to mean 'to do, to act, for the sake of.' The simplified 为 preserves this 'do/for' meaning, with pronunciation shifting between wéi ('to be, to do') and wèi ('for, because of').
命 — 亼 (gather) + 卩 (kneeling person) + 口 (mouth)
Originally depicted a kneeling figure receiving an oral command from above, combining 令 (order) with an added 口 (mouth) for emphasis. The image of authority issuing decrees extended from 'command' to 'mandate' and then 'destiny, life,' as one's fate was seen as decreed by Heaven.