揭
jiē · HSK 6
to expose
🎭 Hand (扌) asks why (曷) — by ripping the lid off to find out
The hand radical marks a physical action. 曷 means why or how — so 揭 is the hand that answers why by pulling away whatever hides the truth.
揭 — hand radical 扌 + 曷 (phonetic)
揭 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The hand radical 扌 carries the meaning of a physical action done with the hand, while 曷 supplies the sound (related to jiē/hé). Originally it meant to lift or raise something high, and from there extended to 'uncover, reveal, expose'.