招待
しょうたいする · shoutaisuru · JLPT N4 · noun
invitation
💌 招待 = beckon (招) + wait on / host (待)
招 means to beckon or summon, as in 招く (maneku). 待 means to wait, and also to attend to a guest. Beckon someone over and then look after them: that is an invitation. Adding する makes the verb, to invite.
招 — hand radical 扌 + 召 (call)
招 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The hand radical 扌 supplies the meaning—an action done with the hand—while 召 (to summon, call) gives both phonetic value and reinforces the sense. Together they depict beckoning someone with a hand gesture, extended to 'recruit' or 'attract'.
待 — chì 彳 (step) + 寺 sì (temple/phonetic)
待 combines the 'step' radical 彳, suggesting movement or a path, with 寺, which serves as the phonetic component. Originally it conveyed the idea of stopping along a road, which extended to 'waiting.' Over time it also took on related meanings like 'to treat' or 'to deal with' someone.