长大
zhǎngdà · HSK 2
grow up
🌱 长 (grow) + 大 (big) = grow up, mature
Compound: 长 means to grow or lengthen, 大 means big or large. Together 长大 literally reads as grow-big, meaning to grow up or reach maturity. Common in phrases like 长大成人 (grow up into an adult).
长 — pictograph of long-haired person with cane
Originally a pictograph showing a person with long, flowing hair leaning on a cane, representing an elder. The meaning extended from 'long hair' to 'long' in general, and also to 'elder' or 'to grow' (read zhǎng). The modern form 长 is a simplification of the traditional 長.
大 — pictograph of a person with arms outstretched
大 is a pictograph showing a person standing with arms and legs spread wide. The outstretched arms suggest 'big' or 'great', extending from the literal image of a large stance to abstract meanings like important or grand. It is one of the oldest characters, found on oracle bones.