能量
néngliàng · HSK 5
energy
⚡ 能 = ability + 量 = quantity; literally 'amount of capability'
能 means 'be able to' or 'capability', and 量 means 'quantity' or 'measure'. Together they form 'amount of capability' — energy or capacity to do work. The same compound covers both physics-energy and a person's capabilities.
能 — 厶 (head) + 月 (body/flesh) + 匕匕 (legs)
Originally a pictograph of a bear, showing its head, body, and powerful legs. Because bears were seen as strong and capable, the character was borrowed to mean 'ability' or 'can'. A new character 熊 (with the fire radical 灬) was later created for 'bear'.
量 — top 旦 (sunrise) + bottom 里 (village/measure)
Originally a pictograph of a funnel or measuring vessel used to gauge grain. The form evolved to suggest weighing at sunrise (旦) over a measured area (里). It split into two readings: liáng 'to measure' (the action) and liàng 'quantity' (the result).