陪同
péitóng · HSK 6
accompany
🤝 陪 accompany + 同 together — side by side as equals
陪 alone means to keep someone company. Adding 同 (same/together) makes it more formal — escorting or going along with someone on an official visit or task.
陪 — mound radical 阝 + 咅 (phonetic)
陪 is a phono-semantic compound. The left 阝 (mound/hill) originally suggested earthen embankments piled alongside something, while 咅 supplies the sound. From 'an accompanying mound of earth' the meaning shifted to 'to accompany' or 'keep company with,' the standard sense today.
同 — 冂 enclosure + 一 + 口 mouth
Originally depicted multiple mouths gathered under one cover or enclosure, suggesting people speaking together in agreement. From this image of voices joining, it came to mean 'same,' 'together,' or 'alike.' The shared cover symbolizes unity.