二十日
はつか · hatsuka · JLPT N5 · noun
days
📅 hatsu = old native word for twenty + ka = day (as in futsuka, mikka)
An irregular native reading: the kanji say ni-juu-nichi, but the word is hatsuka. Hatsu is the same old root for twenty found in hatachi (twenty years old), and -ka is the day counter from futsuka, mikka, yokka.
二 — two horizontal strokes 一 + 一
二 is an indicative character showing the number two with two simple horizontal lines, parallel to 一 (one) and 三 (three). The form has been stable since oracle bone script. It directly represents the concept of 'two' rather than depicting any physical object.
十 — single horizontal 一 + vertical 丨
十 originated as a simple vertical line in oracle bone script, representing the number ten, possibly from a knotted cord used for counting. Over time a horizontal stroke was added, giving the modern cross shape. It has consistently meant 'ten' or 'complete' throughout Chinese history.
日 — pictograph of the sun
日 is a pictograph of the sun, originally drawn as a circle with a dot or stroke inside representing the sun's substance. Over time the round shape was squared off into the modern rectangular form. It means 'sun' and by extension 'day'.