海盗
hǎi dào · HSK 7
pirate
🏴☠️ 海盗 = 海 sea + 盗 robber: a robber of the sea is a pirate
海 means sea and 盗 means to rob or a thief/bandit. Stack them and you get the sea-robber, which is exactly what a pirate is. The hǎi in hǎi dào is the same 海 as in many ocean words.
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).
盗 — 次 (drool/desire) + 皿 (dish/vessel)
Originally depicted someone drooling (次, showing saliva 氵 next to a person yawning 欠) over a vessel of food (皿), capturing the idea of coveting what belongs to others. The meaning extended from coveting to stealing, and today 盗 means 'to steal' or 'thief/robber'.