纪念
jìniàn · HSK 3
commemorate
🕯️ 纪 (record) + 念 (think of) = think back and record = commemorate
纪 means to record or chronicle; 念 means to think of or miss. Together they mean to keep something in memory — to commemorate or mark an occasion. Related to 纪念日 (anniversary, memorial day).
念 — 今 (now, phonetic) + 心 (heart)
念 is a semantic-phonetic compound: 心 (heart) gives the meaning, while 今 (now) supplies the sound. The original sense was 'what is on the heart right now' — a thought held in mind. From this came the modern meanings 'to think of,' 'to miss,' and 'to recite' (holding words in mind).