缘故
yuángù · HSK 6
reason
🔗 缘 fate-link + 故 old story = the backstory that explains why
Every cause is an old connection: 缘 is the thread of fate and 故 is something from the past. Together they point to the underlying reason behind events.
故 — 古 (old) + 攵 (action/strike)
故 combines 古 'old' as the phonetic with 攵, a variant of 攴 meaning to strike or act. Originally it referred to a cause or reason behind an action. From this it extended to mean 'former, old, deceased' and 'therefore, hence' as a connector.