过剩
guò shèng · HSK 7
to be excessive; to be more than is required
🍱 过 (exceed) + 剩 (leftover) = more left over than needed = surplus
过 means to exceed or go past; 剩 means leftover or remaining. Put together, the amount remaining goes past what is needed — an oversupply, a surplus.
过 — 辶 walk radical + 呙 (phonetic)
过 combines the walking radical 辶, suggesting motion or passage, with 呙 serving as the phonetic component. Originally it depicted crossing or passing by on foot, which extended to meanings like 'to pass,' 'to cross over,' and later 'past' or 'excessive.' The simplified form replaces the traditional 過.
剩 — 乘 (chéng, ride/multiply) + 刂 knife radical
Originally written with 刀/刂 (knife) plus 乘 as the phonetic, 剩 meant 'to cut off the remainder.' Over time the cutting sense faded and the character came to mean simply 'surplus' or 'what is left over.' The 乘 component still hints at the shèng pronunciation.