支出
ししゅつ · shishutsu · JLPT N3 · noun
outgo
💸🧾 支出 = branch/pay out (支) + go out (出): money paid going out
支 means to pay or disburse, as in 支払う (shiharau, to pay). 出 means to exit. Together: payments leaving your pocket. Its opposite is 収入 (shūnyū, income), where 入 means enter, so 出 vs 入 marks money out vs money in.
支 — hand 又 holding a branch 十
Originally a pictograph showing a hand (又) holding a branch broken from a tree, depicting the act of supporting or propping something up. From this came meanings like 'branch,' 'to support,' and 'to pay out.' It also serves as a phonetic component in characters like 枝 (branch) and 技 (skill).
出 — foot 止 emerging from enclosure 凵
出 is a pictograph showing a foot or plant stepping out of a hollow or enclosure, depicting the act of going forth. The original sense of 'coming out' or 'emerging' has remained stable since oracle bone script. It now broadly means 'to exit, go out, or produce.'