队伍
duìwǔ · HSK 6
rank
🚶♂️🚶♀️ 队 = team/squad + 伍 = rank of five soldiers
伍 originally meant a military unit of five (人 person + 五 five). Pair it with 队 (team) and you get a formed-up group: a queue, procession, or contingent lined up in ranks.
队 — 阝(mound) + 㒸 (phonetic, suì)
Originally written 隊, depicting people falling from a mound (阝). The early sense was 'to fall down,' later borrowed for 'a group' or 'team' descending or marching together. The simplified form 队 keeps the mound radical 阝 but replaces the right side with 人 (person), suggesting people gathered in a line.