税
shuì · HSK 6
tax
🌾💰 禾 grain + 兑 exchange: tax was grain handed over to the state
In ancient China, farmers paid taxes in grain. The character combines grain (禾) with exchange (兑) — you swap part of your harvest for the right to keep farming the land.
税 — grain radical 禾 + 兑 (exchange/phonetic)
税 combines 禾 (grain) with 兑 (exchange), which also hints at the sound. In ancient China taxes were paid in grain, so the character originally meant a levy of harvest given to the state. Its meaning later broadened to taxes and duties of any kind.