滑雪
huá xuě · HSK 7
to ski
⛷️ 滑 slide + 雪 snow = sliding on snow = skiing
滑 (huá) means to slip or slide; 雪 (xuě) means snow. Skiing is literally sliding-snow. The 氵 water radical in 滑 hints at slick, slippery surfaces.
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.'
雪 — rain 雨 + hand 彐 (originally broom 帚)
Originally an ideograph showing rain 雨 above a hand holding a broom, suggesting snow as 'rain that can be swept.' Over time the broom element simplified to 彐. The character has always meant snow, with later extended senses like 'to wipe away' (as in 雪恥, to wipe out shame).