教会
きょうかい · kyoukai · JLPT N4 · noun
church
⛪ 教会 = teach + meet: the place people meet to be taught
教 (kyou) means teach or doctrine, as in 教室 classroom and 教育 education. 会 (kai) means meet or gathering, as in 会社 company and 会議 meeting. A church is literally a teaching-gathering. Sound hook: kyoukai, a doctrine (kyou) guild (kai).
教 — 老 (filial son being taught) + 攵 (hand with stick)
教 originally depicted an adult holding a stick or rod (攵) instructing a child, often shown with the element 爻 (lessons/counting) above 子 (child). It is a classic associative compound meaning 'to teach' or 'to instruct,' with the right side suggesting discipline and guidance. The modern meanings 'teach, religion, doctrine' all extend from this image of formal instruction.
会 — 人 person on top + 云 cloud/say below (simplified from 會)
The traditional form 會 showed a lid over a vessel with contents stacked inside, depicting things coming together — hence 'meet, gather, assemble.' From 'gathering' it extended to 'meeting,' then 'understand' (minds meeting) and 'be able to.' The simplified 会 keeps only a schematic top and bottom.