血脉
xuè mài · HSK 7
blood vessel
🩸 血 (blood) + 脉 (veins/pulse) = blood vessels, the bloodline
血 means blood; 脉 means veins or pulse — the same 脉 in 把脉 (take a pulse). Together they name the body's blood vessels, and 血脉 also means bloodline or lineage, the blood that runs through a family.
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.