行动
xíngdòng · HSK 2
action
🏃 行 = walk/go + 动 = move; together: action, taking steps to do
行 originally depicted a crossroads, meaning to walk or go. 动 means to move or stir. Combined, 行动 is the act of moving forward — taking action or carrying out an operation.
行 — crossroads pictograph (left 彳 + right 亍)
行 originally pictured a four-way crossroads in oracle bone script, with two paths meeting. From 'road' it extended to 'walk, go, travel,' and then to 'a row, line' or 'business firm' (read háng). The two halves 彳 and 亍 are the split sides of that ancient crossroads.
动 — force 力 + heavy/重 (simplified from 動)
The traditional form 動 combines 重 (heavy) as the phonetic with 力 (force/strength) as the semantic, suggesting the effort needed to move something heavy. The simplified form 动 replaces 重 with 云, keeping 力 to convey action and motion.