面倒
めんどう · mendou · JLPT N3 · noun
trouble
😩 面 face + 倒 topple: a face-plant of a task, what a hassle
Its origin is debated, but face + topple is a handy hook. 面倒 means bother or a chore (面倒くさい = what a pain). In 面倒を見る, taking on someone's trouble means looking after them, which is where the 'attention' meaning comes from.
面 — enclosure 囗 + 自 (nose/face inside)
Originally a pictograph showing a face framed by an outline, with 自 (nose) inside representing the central feature of the face. The early meaning was 'face,' which extended to 'surface,' 'side,' and 'aspect.' In simplified Chinese, 面 also absorbed 麵, adding the meaning 'flour/noodles.'
倒 — person radical 亻 + 到 (to arrive)
倒 is a semantic-phonetic compound: the person radical 亻 gives meaning (an action done by/to a person), while 到 supplies the sound 'dào'. Originally meaning 'to fall over' (a person toppling), it extended to 'invert, upside down, pour out', as when something falls and spills.