TSUMUGU · TOCFL B2 (est.) · 字
恩
ㄣ · ēn
noun — kindness, favor, grace
字源 FORM — what the parts do
Iyīn → ēn — the y- worn off the front
A heart (心) with 因 yīn for the sound, its y- worn off to ēn. 因 is a person lying on a mat — what one rests on, relies on. The heart that holds onto what it relies on, grateful for it, is kindness received: 恩惠、恩情、感恩.
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
心（心）裡記著那張曾托住自己的席子（因），一直沒忘。
The heart (心) keeps the mat (因) that once held it up, and never forgets.
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
(本義)恩惠、恩情— kindness, favor常用
→感恩、報恩— to feel grateful; to repay kindness
→恩人、恩典— a benefactor; grace
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension