脆
cuì · HSK 5
brittle
🍪 脆 = 月 (meat/flesh) + 危 (danger) — flesh in a precarious, brittle state
The 月 radical signals flesh/body and 危 (wēi, danger) hints at the sound and the idea of something fragile or on the edge of breaking. Used for crisp foods (脆饼 crackers) and brittle materials alike.
脆 — meat radical 月 + 危 wēi (phonetic)
A semantic-phonetic compound: the meat radical 月 (flesh) suggests something physical or edible, while 危 hints at the sound. Originally written 脃, it described meat that was tender and easily broken, later extending to anything brittle, crisp, or fragile.