肥沃
féi wò · HSK 7
fertile
🌱🐷 FAY-wo: a FAT (肥) nest (沃) of soil — rich and fertile
肥 means fat or rich, 沃 means fertile land. Together they describe soil so rich and well-fed it grows anything. FAY sounds like fat, linking to the plump richness of good earth.
肥 — flesh radical 月(肉) + 巴
Originally written with 肉 (flesh/meat) on the left and a phonetic-like component on the right, 肥 depicted abundant flesh on a body, hence 'fat' or 'plump'. Over time the 肉 radical was simplified to 月 in left-side position. The meaning extended from animal fatness to 'fertile' (as in rich soil) and 'fertilizer'.