系
xì · HSK 3
be
🔗 系 = silk radical 糸 + tying threads; to bind or be connected
The character shows a hand grasping silk threads (糸), giving the sense of tying or linking. From there it broadens to relation, lineage, and the copula sense be (as in 是/系 in classical use and 系是 in Cantonese hai6).
系 — silk radical 糸 with a stroke on top
Originally a pictograph of a hand holding silk threads, showing connection or lineage. The character depicts threads being tied together, which gave rise to meanings like 'system,' 'lineage,' and 'to connect.' It later became used for organized sequences or relationships.