血
xiě · HSK 3
blood
🩸 Pictograph: a drop above 皿 (a vessel/dish) — blood collected in a sacrificial bowl.
Oracle-bone origin: the small stroke on top marks a drop of blood, and 皿 below is a ritual dish. Ancient Chinese sacrifices placed animal blood in such bowls, so the character literally depicts blood-in-vessel.
血 — drop 丿 over dish 皿
Originally a pictograph of a sacrificial vessel (皿) with a drop of blood inside, marking the offering of blood in ancient rituals. The small stroke on top represents the blood itself. Over time it broadened from ritual blood to blood in general.