领导
lǐngdǎo · HSK 3
lead
👔 领 (collar/lead) + 导 (guide) = one who guides — a leader
领 originally meant neck/collar, extended to leading the way; 导 means to guide or direct. Together: to lead or exercise leadership. The collar metaphor fits: whoever wears the collar sets the direction.
领 — 令 (command, phonetic) + 页 (head)
A semantic-phonetic compound. 页 (head/page) gives the meaning, originally referring to the neck or collar — the part connecting the head to the body. 令 supplies the sound. From 'neck/collar' it extended to 'lead, guide, receive,' since the neck leads the body.