客
- guest, visitor;
Etymology
It is a phono-semantic compound, made up of:
宀 (집 면, “roof/house”) — indicating the meaning (someone inside a house);
各 (각, “each/every”) — providing the sound.
Usage in Korean
Beyond simply “guest,” the character 客 is also used in words implying an outsider, stranger, or external party, i.e., someone distinct from the self or the internal group.