渴
kě · HSK 1
thirsty
💧 渴 = 氵(water) + 曷 (hé, phonetic) — needing water
The 氵 radical signals water/liquid, and 曷 supplies the sound (kě is close to hé). Together: lacking water, i.e. thirsty. Compare 喝 (hē, drink) which swaps 氵 for 口 (mouth) — same phonetic, mouth instead of water.
渴 — water radical 氵 + 曷 (phonetic)
渴 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The 氵 (water) radical hints at the meaning—being dry or lacking water—while 曷 supplies the sound. Originally tied to thirst and dryness, it now broadly means 'thirsty' and, by extension, 'to crave' or 'eagerly desire'.