落
luò · HSK 4
come down
🍂 落 = 艹 grass + 洛 (luò) phonetic; leaves coming down
The grass radical 艹 signals plants; 洛 gives the sound luò. Core sense is something dropping or settling — leaves fall, sun sets, a village settles. Extended uses (have, remain, go under) all branch from that downward/settling motion.
落 — grass radical 艹 + 洛 (water 氵 + 各)
Originally written with the grass radical 艹 over 洛, depicting leaves falling from plants. 洛 serves as the phonetic component (giving the luò sound) while 艹 supplies the meaning of vegetation. The sense extended from 'leaves falling' to the general meaning of falling, dropping, or settling down.