等于
děngyū · HSK 2
be equal
⚖️ 等 (equal/wait) + 于 (at/to) = is equal to
等 carries the sense of grade or rank, hence equality; 于 is a classical preposition meaning at/to/than. Together 等于 literally reads as equal-to, used in math (2+2 等于 4) and to mean tantamount to.
等 — bamboo radical 竹 + temple 寺
Originally referred to bamboo slips of equal length used for record-keeping, with 竹 (bamboo) as the semantic component and 寺 suggesting the phonetic. From 'equal-length slips' the meaning extended to 'rank, class,' then 'equal,' and later to 'wait' (to be of equal status in line).
于 — two horizontal strokes 二 + vertical hook 亅
于 originated as a pictograph of breath or sound flowing outward, depicting exhalation through a passage. In oracle bone script it resembled a curved line showing motion or extension. Over time it became a grammatical preposition meaning 'at,' 'in,' or 'to,' losing its original concrete sense.