謙

It is a phono-semantic compound, consisting of:

言 (“speech, words”) as the semantic element;

兼 (gyeom, “to combine, to unite”) as the phonetic element.

The idea behind the graph links speech (言) with the sense of “combining / yielding (兼),” giving rise to the meaning of restrained or modest speech and conduct.

In Korean usage, 겸 (謙) is found in compounds that express modesty and humility:

겸손 (謙遜) – humility, modesty

겸허 (謙虛) – humbleness, meekness

겸양 (謙讓) – modest yielding, deference

Thus, while originally tied to “modest speech,” in Korean and broader East Asian usage, 謙 has come to represent the broader virtue of humility in word and action.