去
qù · HSK 1
to go
🚶 去 sounds like 'chew' — chew your snack and go
去 (qù) means to go or leave. The top 土 (earth) over 厶 (private) hints at leaving one's private space to head out into the world. Sound hook: 'chew' rhymes with qù.
去 — 土 earth on top + 厶 (originally 凵, a vessel/container) below
Originally a pictograph showing a person (大) departing from an enclosed area or vessel, suggesting leaving or going away. Over time the top simplified to 土 and the bottom to 厶. The core meaning 'to go, to leave, to depart' has remained stable since ancient Chinese.