沿途
yántú · HSK 7
on the way
🛣️ 沿 (along) + 途 (route) = along the whole route, the entire way there
沿 means to follow along an edge or path; 途 is a route or journey. Together they mark everything that happens along the route, all the way through the trip.
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.