海浪
hǎi làng · HSK 6
wave
🌊 hai = sea + lang sounds like long — the sea's long rolling waves
海 (hǎi) means sea, 浪 (làng) means wave. Together they form sea-wave. The 'lang' syllable echoes 'long,' and ocean waves are famously long, sweeping motions across the surface.
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).
浪 — water radical 氵 + 良 (good/phonetic)
浪 is a phono-semantic compound: 氵 (water) gives the meaning and 良 supplies the sound. It originally referred to waves on water, then extended figuratively to anything surging, unrestrained, or wandering — hence modern senses like 'wave,' 'wasteful,' or 'dissolute.'