沿海
yánhǎi · HSK 6
coastal
🏖️🌊 沿 = along + 海 = sea — literally along the sea
沿 means to follow or go along something. Pair it with 海 (sea) and you get the land that runs along the sea — the coast. The yan sound echoes the word for along, keeping the connection tight.
沿 — water 氵 + 㕣 (marsh/valley) phonetic
沿 combines the water radical 氵 with 㕣, depicting a stream flowing through a small valley. Originally it meant to follow along the course of a river, and by extension came to mean 'to follow,' 'along,' or 'beside.' The 㕣 element also gives the sound.
海 — water radical 氵 + 每 (phonetic)
海 is a phono-semantic compound. The 氵 (water) radical signals the meaning—a vast body of water—while 每 supplies the sound. Originally referring to the sea or ocean, it later extended figuratively to mean 'vast' or 'a great quantity,' as in 人海 (a sea of people).