Support, Branch

Interesting Fact

The kanji 支 has a surprisingly visual origin. In ancient Chinese writing, it was connected with the idea of a branch or something branching out, and over time it developed the extended sense of something that holds, supports, or props up another thing. That same idea survives in modern Japanese: 支える (ささえる) means “to support,” while 支店 (してん) means “branch office.” So the modern meanings of “branch” and “support” aren't random—they grew from the image of something branching out or helping hold something up.