赞赏
zàn shǎng · HSK 4
to praise
👏 赞 = praise/extol + 赏 = reward/appreciate
赞 (zàn) means to praise or extol, and 赏 (shǎng) means to reward or appreciate. Together 赞赏 stacks two near-synonyms for emphasis: to genuinely admire and appreciate. Common in formal compliments.
赏 — 尚 (shàng, phonetic) + 贝 (shell/money)
A semantic-phonetic compound. The bottom 贝 means 'cowrie shell,' the ancient form of money, signaling the meaning 'to reward' or 'bestow.' The top 尚 supplies the sound (shàng → shǎng). From 'reward,' the meaning extended to 'appreciate' or 'admire.'