害
hài · HSK 5
harm
☠️ 害 = roof 宀 + tongue-cutting; old form depicted speech causing damage
Etymology: the top is 宀 (roof/house) and the lower part relates to 口 (mouth) being cut or pierced — harm done through speech. Common in 厉害 (lìhai, fierce/awesome) and 害怕 (hàipà, to fear).
害 — 宀 roof + 丯 (phonetic) + 口 mouth
Originally an ideograph showing harm spoken under a roof, with 宀 (roof/house) on top, a phonetic element 丯 in the middle, and 口 (mouth) below suggesting harmful speech. Over time it shifted from 'injury caused by words' to the broader senses of 'harm,' 'injure,' and 'fear.'