顾问
gùwèn · HSK 5
advisor
💼 顾 (look after) + 问 (ask) = one you ask + who looks after you = advisor
顾 means to look after or attend to; 问 means to ask or inquire. A 顾问 is literally someone you consult (ask) who attends to your concerns — a counsellor or advisor.
顾 — page 頁 + cliff 厃 (phonetic 雇)
顧 is a semantic-phonetic compound: 頁 (head) gives the meaning of turning the head to look back, while 雇 supplies the sound. The original sense was 'to turn and gaze,' which extended to 'consider, care for, attend to.' The simplified form 顾 keeps the same structure with 页.
问 — gate 门 (phonetic) + mouth 口 (semantic)
问 is a phono-semantic compound. The 口 (mouth) on the inside gives the meaning—using the mouth to ask—while 门 (gate/door) supplies the sound, close to 'mén/wèn'. The traditional form 問 places 口 inside 門, vividly suggesting speaking through a doorway to inquire.