疏通
shū tōng · HSK 7
to unblock
🪠 疏 (clear out) + 通 (pass through) = dredge a blockage so things flow again
疏 means to clear or dredge; 通 means to pass through or connect. Put them together and you get clearing a clogged channel so water, traffic, or even a tense relationship can flow freely again.
通 — 辵 (辶) walk + 甬 yǒng (phonetic)
通 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The 辶 (chuò) component means 'walk' or 'movement', giving the meaning of going through or passing. 甬 (yǒng), originally depicting a hanging bell or a path, supplies the sound. Together they convey 'to pass through, communicate, connect'.