结识
jié shí · HSK 7
to get to know sb
🤝 结 (form/tie a bond) + 识 (to know) = to form a new acquaintance
结 carries the sense of tying or forming a connection; 识 means to know or recognize. Together they mean making someone's acquaintance for the first time. Compare 认识 (renshi), the everyday word for knowing someone.
结 — silk radical 糸 + lucky 吉 (phonetic)
结 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The silk radical 糸 on the left signals the meaning, since the original sense was tying threads or cords into knots. The right side 吉 (jí) provides the sound. From the literal 'knot' it extended to figurative senses like 'bind,' 'conclude,' or 'form (a bond).'
识 — speech radical 讠 + 只 zhī (phonetic)
识 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The speech radical 讠 (言) signals meaning related to words or knowing, while 只 hints at the sound. Originally written 識 with 戠, it meant 'to recognize' or 'know'; later it broadened to include knowledge and awareness.