道歉
dàoqiàn · HSK 6
apologize
🙇 道 = way/speak + 歉 = regret; to speak your regret
道 means way or to speak, 歉 means apology or deficiency. Together: to voice one's regret. The 欠 component in 歉 means to owe or lack, hinting at owing someone an apology.
道 — 辶 (walk) + 首 (head)
Originally a compound of 辶 'walk/movement' and 首 'head', depicting a path one walks while looking ahead. The literal sense 'road, way' extended metaphorically to 'method, doctrine, the Way (Dao)'. This philosophical meaning became central in Daoist and Confucian thought.