余额
yūé · HSK 7
remaining sum
💰 余 = surplus/remainder + 额 = amount/quota = the amount left over (your balance)
余 means what remains after taking some away; 额 is a fixed amount or quota. Together they name the sum still left in an account: the balance or remaining funds.
余 — roof 亼 + wooden post/pillar
Originally a pictograph of a simple thatched shelter or hut supported by a central post, 余 meant 'lodging' or 'temporary dwelling.' It was later borrowed phonetically to write the first-person pronoun 'I/me,' which became its dominant meaning. The 'surplus/remainder' sense developed through its use as a loan for 餘.