同甘共苦 (tóng gān gòng kǔ) — to share joy and sorrow; to stick together through thick and thin

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

同 originally drew a pipe. It is the old form of 筒.

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

甘 originally drew an open mouth with something sweet inside it. This gives the sense of sweet or pleasant.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

共 shows 廾, two hands, holding up an object. That object was written 口 and later became the 廿-like top.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

The top 艸 shows grass or plants, matching the sense of bitter plants. The bottom 古 gives the sound.