示
shì · HSK 2
to show
📋 示 = 二 (altar top) + 小 (offerings) — ancient altar where signs were shown
Oracle-bone form depicts a stone altar used to display offerings and reveal omens from ancestors. The radical 礻 (示 variant) appears in many characters about ritual, spirit, and divine signs (神, 祈, 礼).
示 — altar 示 (二 + 小); originally 丅 with three strokes
示 is a pictograph of an ancient altar or sacrificial stand, with the top line representing heaven and the strokes below depicting offerings or hanging banners. It originally meant 'to show' something to the spirits, and by extension came to mean 'to show, display, or indicate' in general. As a radical, it appears in many characters related to ritual, worship, and divine matters.