节外生枝

• ⺮(bamboo)RADICAL
• 即(immediately; at once)PHONETIC

Burning bamboo segments reveals the joints that connect each section of the bamboo stalk.

• 夕(evening; crescent moon (pictographic))RADICAL
• 卜(divination; fortune-telling)PHONETIC

Evening outside divining fortunes under the moon — that's an external affair.

• 生(life; sprouting)ASSOCIATIVE

The character depicts a sprout pushing up through the soil, symbolizing life and growth.

• 木(tree; wood)RADICAL
• 支(branch; support)PHONETIC

A branch is the part that separates from the trunk of a tree, extending out to support leaves and flowers.