联系
liánxì · HSK 3
get in touch with
🔗 联 = unite/join + 系 = tie/connect → join-and-tie = link up, get in touch
联 carries the sense of joining or allying (think 联合 'unite'); 系 means to tie or relate (as in 关系 'relationship'). Together they form the idea of linking things or people — hence 'contact' or 'get in touch'.
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.
lián xì · HSK 4
to get in touch
📞 联 = connect/join + 系 = tie/link — together: to link up with someone
联 means to unite or join (think 'league'); 系 means to tie or relate. Both characters point at making a connection, so 联系 covers contacting, reaching out, or staying in touch.
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.