表

Components:

衣 (clothing) – indicates something worn or covering;

毛 (fur, hair) – indicates hair or surface texture.

Originally, 表 depicted the outer garment or fur on the surface – symbolizing the outer layer. Over time, it generalized to mean “outside”, “surface”, and then “to show”.

During script evolution, the form simplified: 衣 + 毛 became a compressed 亠 + 毛.

Contrasted with 裏 (리 / lǐ) – meaning “inside.”

表 = outside, exterior;

裏 = inside, interior.

Modern Simplified Chinese: 表 also covers 錶 (watch), so “wristwatch” is written 手表 in China.