功不可没 (gōng bù kě mò) — (idiom) one's contributions cannot be denied; one's merits are undeniable

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

功 puts 力 (strength) beside 工, which gives the sound gōng and means labour or work.

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.

可 pairs 口 (mouth) with 丂 as a sound part; it is tied to air from the mouth, perhaps singing.

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 沒; 没 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 沒 pairs 水 (water) with 𠬛 as a sound part; this note is about 沒, not the simplified 没.