维生素
wéi shēng sù · HSK 6
vitamin
💊 wei-sheng-su = maintain + life + element — what sustains life
Each character spells out the concept: 维 (maintain/sustain) + 生 (life) + 素 (element/essence). A vitamin is literally the essential element that maintains life — a perfect compound decomposition.
生 — sprout 屮 above earth 土
Originally a pictograph showing a young plant sprouting from the ground, with 屮 (a sprout) above 土 (earth). The core meaning is 'to be born, to grow, to live,' which extends to 'raw, unripe, unfamiliar.' The modern form has simplified the sprout shape but preserves the image of new growth emerging from soil.
素 — silk 糸 + sheng 𠂹 (hanging threads)
Originally depicted raw, undyed silk hanging to dry, with the silk radical 糸 below and strands above. From this came the meaning 'plain, unadorned, white,' then extended to 'basic element' or 'plain/simple' in general. The 'vegetarian' sense developed later from the idea of plain, unembellished food.