儀式

ぎしき · gishiki · JLPT N2 · noun

ceremony

⛩️ 儀 = rite, etiquette + 式 = formal ceremony: a rite with set, formal steps

Both characters name formal conduct: 儀 covers etiquette and proper form, 式 covers ceremony and style. Together they mean a structured, formal rite. Compare 式典, a formal ceremony event.

式 — 工 (work) + 弋 (phonetic)
式 is a phono-semantic compound: 工 ('work, craft') gives the meaning of a tool, rule, or method, while 弋 supplies the sound. It originally referred to a standard pattern or model used in craftsmanship, then broadened to mean 'style, form, ceremony, or formula.'

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