祝
zhù · HSK 3
wish
🙏 祝 = 礻 (altar/spirit) + 兄 (elder brother) — elder at the altar offering blessings
The radical 礻 marks ritual/spirit matters, and 兄 depicts a person with an open mouth speaking. Together: a speaker at the altar pronouncing blessings, hence zhù — to wish, to bless.
祝 — 示 (altar/spirit) + 兄 (elder brother/person speaking)
Originally an oracle bone pictograph showing a person kneeling before an altar (示) with an open mouth, representing a priest reciting prayers or invocations. The meaning extended from 'invoke blessings' to the modern sense of 'wish' or 'congratulate'. The 示 component signals ritual/spirit, while 兄 contributes both meaning and sound.