不劳而获 (bù láo ér huò) — to reap without sowing; to get something for nothing; to profit by others' toil

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

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 勞; 劳 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 勞 uses 力 for the meaning and 𬡤 for the sound; the simplified 劳 is a later shortened shape.

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

The shape of 而 is a picture of a beard.

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 獲; 获 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 獲 combines 犭 (dog) with 蒦, a sound part, to show catching animals with a dog. The simplified 获 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.