起伏
qǐfú · HSK 7
to move up and down; to undulate
🌊 起 (rise) + 伏 (crouch down) = rise and fall, like waves or hills
起 means to rise or get up; 伏 means to bend or lie low. Together they name the up-down motion of waves, terrain, or emotions. Reads literally as up-down.
起 — 走 (run) + 己 (self/phonetic)
起 combines 走 'run/walk' as the meaning component with 己 as the phonetic component. The 走 element suggests movement of the body, giving the core sense of rising up or starting to move. From there it extended to meanings like 'get up,' 'begin,' and 'arise.'