汇率
huìlù · HSK 4
exchange rate
💱 汇 = converge/remit + 率 = rate; literally 'exchange rate'
汇 means to converge or remit (money flowing together), and 率 means rate or ratio. Together 汇率 is the rate at which one currency converts to another. Pinyin huìlǜ — note 率 is lǜ here, not shuài.
汇 — water radical 氵 + 㠯 (older form)
汇 is the simplified form of 匯, originally depicting water (氵) flowing into a container (匚), meaning a place where streams converge. From this came the extended senses of gathering, collecting, and remitting funds. Modern uses like 汇款 (remit money) and 词汇 (vocabulary) all stem from this idea of things flowing together.
率 — twisted silk threads with droplets, plus 十
率 originally pictured a net or twisted bundle of silk cords with water droplets shaking off, suggesting something being led or pulled along. From 'leading a rope' it extended to 'lead, command' (shuài) and to 'rate, ratio' (lǜ), as in a fixed proportion. The two readings share this core image of a guiding measure.