祝福
zhùfú · HSK 4
wish happiness to
🙏 祝 (wish/pray) + 福 (good fortune) = invoke blessing
祝 means to wish or pray, 福 means good fortune or blessing. Together 祝福 literally compounds to 'wish good fortune' — to bless someone or wish them happiness.
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.
福 — 示 (altar/spirit) + 畐 (full vessel)
福 originally depicted hands offering a full wine jar (畐) at an altar (示) to the spirits, asking for blessings. The 示 radical signals religious or ritual meaning, while 畐 suggests both the sound and the idea of fullness or abundance. Over time it came to mean 'good fortune' or 'blessing.'