凝聚
níngjù · HSK 7
to condense; to coagulate
💧 凝 (congeal) + 聚 (gather) = scattered droplets congeal and gather into one
凝 means to congeal or solidify; 聚 means to gather or assemble. Together they describe vapor condensing or separate parts coalescing into a concentrated whole.
聚 — 取 (qǔ) phonetic + 乑 (yín, crowd of people)
聚 originally depicted a gathering of people, with 乑 showing three figures standing together to suggest a crowd. The component 取 (to take) provides the phonetic clue for the reading jù. Over time the meaning broadened from 'assembling people' to any kind of gathering, collecting, or amassing.