持つ
もつ · motsu · JLPT N5 · verb-godan
to carry
🤲🎒 持 = hand (扌) + temple (寺): a hand that keeps hold of something
The left part 扌 is the hand radical, so the meaning lives in the hand. 寺 on the right mainly gives the sound. Sound hook: motsu is close to mitts, and your mitts are what you hold and carry things with.
持 — hand 扌 + temple 寺 (phonetic)
持 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The hand radical 扌 carries the meaning 'to hold' or 'grasp', while 寺 supplies the sound (it once read close to chí). Originally depicting a hand holding something firmly, it broadened to mean 'maintain', 'support', or 'keep' over time.