滑
huá · HSK 5
slippery
💧 氵(water) + 骨 (bone) — wet bones slip; slippery, smooth
Compound decomposition: the 氵 radical means water, and 骨 means bone. Water on bone is the classic slippery surface, so 滑 (huá) covers slippery, smooth, and by extension crafty or sly.
滑 — water radical 氵 + bone 骨
A semantic-phonetic compound: 氵 (water) gives the meaning of slipperiness, while 骨 (bone) supplies the sound. The original sense was 'slippery,' as water makes surfaces hard to grip, and it later extended to 'smooth' and figuratively 'cunning' or 'sly.'