海峡
hǎixiá · HSK 7
strait
🌊🏔️ 海峡 = sea (海) + gorge (峡) = a sea-gorge, the narrow water squeezed between two landmasses
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).