违约
wéi yuē · HSK 7
to break a promise
🤝💔 违 violate + 约 agreement/pact = to break the agreement
违 means to violate or disobey; 约 means a pact, appointment, or agreement. Together they literally read as violate-the-pact: to break a promise or default on a contract. The 约 here is the same one in 合约 (contract) and 约会 (appointment).
约 — silk radical 糹/纟 + ladle 勺
约 combines the silk radical 糹 with 勺 (ladle), which provides the sound. Originally it referred to binding or tying with silk cords, from which came the meanings 'to bind by agreement,' hence 'pact, appointment,' and later 'approximately' (a loose, tied-up estimate).