徴 sign / indication

Margaret CHOu shows no signs of being funny.

If you go to the king's mountain, you'll see a sign of the director (his footprints and cologne).

characteristic ★★★☆☆
特 (special) + 徴 (sign / indication) = 特徴 (characteristic )

a characteristic of something ("Loving big stuff for the sake of big stuff is characteristic of Americans.")

symbol ★★☆☆☆
象 (elephant / phenomenon) + 徴 (sign / indication) = 象徴 (symbol)

literary symbol ; "In the novel, the trees symbolize life." 'The color red in the painting symbolizes communism.' (しょうちょうする=to symbolize something)