送别
sòng bié · HSK 7
farewell
👋🚉 送 send-off + 别 part = farewell: you see someone off as they part ways
送 means to send or see off (as in 送 a guest to the door); 别 means to part or separate. Together 送别 is the act of seeing someone off when they leave — a farewell. Note 别 also means do not, but here it carries the parting sense.
送 — 辶 (walk) + 关 (simplified from 灷, fire/torch)
Originally depicted hands holding a torch to escort someone on a journey, combined with the 'walk' radical 辶. The right side 关 is a simplification of an older form showing fire being carried. The core meaning evolved from 'escort/see off' to the broader sense of 'send' or 'give as a gift.'
别 — separate (knife 刂 + 另 phonetic/'other')
别 originally depicted using a knife (刂) to separate flesh from bone, giving the core sense of 'divide' or 'part from'. The left component 另 ('another, other') reinforces the idea of setting things apart and also hints at the sound. From 'separate' the meaning naturally extended to 'other, different' and to the adverb 'don't' (i.e. do otherwise).