支度
したくする · shitakusuru · JLPT N4 · noun
preparation
🎒 支度 = arrange (支) + measure (度): sort things out to the right degree
Shitaku originally meant calculating and budgeting what is needed; from there it came to mean getting things ready, as in dressing or making a meal. Sound hook: she-TACK-oo, she tacks down every last detail before leaving.
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).
度 — 广 (shelter) + 庶 abbreviated (phonetic)
Originally depicted a hand measuring length under a shelter, meaning 'to measure' or 'a measure/standard.' From this came extended senses like 'degree,' 'extent,' and 'to pass through' (as in passing time). The reading 'dù' means degree/measure, while 'duó' preserves the older verbal sense of measuring.