血管
xiěguǎn · HSK 6
blood vessel
🩸 血管 = blood + tube/pipe — the body's plumbing
血 (xiě) means blood, 管 (guǎn) means tube or pipe. Together they literally describe a tube that carries blood — a blood vessel. Think of it as the plumbing system running through your body.
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.
管 — bamboo radical 竹 + official 官 (phonetic)
Originally a pictograph of a bamboo tube or pipe, written with the bamboo radical 竹 on top. The lower component 官 supplies the sound. From 'bamboo pipe' it extended to 'tube,' then to 'manage' or 'control' — since pipes channel and regulate flow, the meaning shifted toward administration.