过滤
guò lǜ · HSK 7
to filter
☕ 过 = pass through + 滤 = strain; water passes through and gets strained = to filter
滤 carries the 氵water radical beside 虑 (consider), so think water being thought-over and cleaned. Pairing 过 (pass through) with 滤 (strain) gives 过滤: liquid passes through a strainer = to filter.
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.