海边
hǎi biān · HSK 2
seaside
🌊🏖️ 海 (sea) + 边 (edge/side) = sea's edge = seaside
海 means sea or ocean; 边 means side, edge, or border. Together they literally name the sea's edge — the coast or shoreline. The same 边 shows up in 旁边 (beside) and 这边 (this side).
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).
边 — 辶 (walk) + 臱 (phonetic)
边 is the simplified form of 邊. It combines the walking radical 辶 with the phonetic component 臱, suggesting a place reached by walking — the edge or border of a territory. The meaning extended from 'frontier' to 'side' or 'edge' in general.