称赞
chēng zàn · HSK 4
to praise
👏 称 = weigh/declare + 赞 = praise; declare praise out loud
称 originally meant to weigh or state, and by extension to call something by name. Paired with 赞 (praise, extol), the compound literally means to publicly declare praise — to commend or compliment someone openly.
称 — grain 禾 + 尔 (phonetic)
称 is a semantic-phonetic compound: the grain radical 禾 on the left points to weighing grain on a balance, while 尔 hints at the sound. It originally meant 'to weigh' on a steelyard, then extended to 'to state the weight of,' and finally to general senses like 'to call,' 'to name,' or 'title.'