The kanji 拝 primarily conveys the meaning of "to worship," "to pay respects," "to bow," or "to receive." It signifies an action of reverence, submission, or acknowledgment, often involving a physical gesture like bowing or prostration. It implies a recognition of something or someone of higher status or importance.

・On-yomi (音読み): はい (hai) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): おが-む (oga-mu)

⚫︎参拝 (さんぱい) Translation: Visiting a shrine or temple for worship. ⚫︎拝見 (はいけん) Translation: To look at, to see (humble form, often used when receiving something or seeing something). ⚫︎礼拝 (れいはい) Translation: Worship, adoration, or religious service.

The kanji 拝 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字, keisei moji). The left side is a component of a phonetic element (音符, onpu) representing sound and the right side is 手(te, hand) which serves as the radical indicating the meaning. The original form of the character depicted a hand (手) approaching a person, emphasizing a gesture of respect or worship. Over time, the form evolved. The combination of the phonetic and meaning elements resulted in the current form.