渡
dù · HSK 6
cross
⛴️ 渡 = 氵(water) + 度 (degree/measure) — measuring water to ferry across
The water radical 氵signals river/sea; 度 (dù) supplies the sound and the sense of measuring or traversing a span. Together: to measure one's way across water — to ferry or cross over.
渡 — water radical 氵 + 度 (measure/cross)
渡 combines the water radical 氵 with 度, which provides the sound and suggests measuring or passing across. Originally it meant to cross a body of water, like fording a river or ferrying across. Over time it broadened to mean 'to pass through' any transition, including time or stages of life.