选修
xuǎnxiū · HSK 5
take... as an elective course
📚 选 = choose + 修 = study; choose to study = elective course
选 means choose/select and 修 means cultivate or study (as in 修学). Together 选修 literally reads as choose-to-study, the standard term for an elective course you opt into rather than a required one (必修).
选 — 辶 walk + 巽 (xùn, phonetic)
选 combines the walking radical 辶 with 巽, which suggests the sound. The original sense relates to going through or passing by, extended to 'picking out' or 'choosing' from a group. The simplified form replaces the older 選.
修 — 亻 person + 攸 (phonetic) + 彡 hair/decoration
修 combines 攸 (a phonetic component originally showing a person being washed) with 彡, which depicts flowing hair or ornamental strokes. The 彡 element suggests grooming, polishing, or adorning, giving 修 its core meaning of cultivating, repairing, or refining oneself or things.