英格兰人 (yīng gé lán rén) — English (person/people from England)

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

英 pairs 艹 (grass) with 央, which gives the sound.

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

格 is built from 木 (wood) on the left and 各 on the right, which gives the sound.

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 蘭; 兰 is its simplified writing.

In the traditional form 蘭, 艹 marks it as a plant and 闌 stands for the sound; the simplified 兰 is a later shorthand, not the original parts.

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

The shape of 人 shows a side view of a standing person, with an arm and a leg.