来 (lái) — to come

At HSK 1, 来 is the basic verb "to come" — motion toward the speaker. Heavier siblings like 降临 are for grand/abstract events, and 前来 is formal/respectful.

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 來; 来 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 來 shows a wheat plant: a central ear, upward leaves, and downward stem and roots. The simplified 来 is a later shorthand.