垂直
すいちょく · suichoku · JLPT N2 · na-adj
vertical
📏 suichoku: 'sui' = water, 'choku' = straight; a plumb line hangs straight down with water-level precision
垂 — plant with drooping leaves/flowers
垂 is a pictograph showing a plant with branches and leaves hanging down toward the ground. The original sense was 'to droop' or 'hang down,' which extended to meanings like 'to let fall,' 'to bestow from above,' and 'border/edge' (where things hang at the limit).
直 — 十 ten + 目 eye + 乚 hidden line
Originally depicted an eye (目) looking straight along a vertical line, suggesting a direct, unswerving gaze. The form combines 目 'eye' with strokes indicating straightness. From this came the meanings 'straight,' 'upright,' and by extension 'honest' or 'direct.'