迟
chí · HSK 5
late
🐢 chí sounds like 'cheese' — slow to ripen, always late
迟 = 辶 (walk radical) + 尺 (chǐ, ruler) as phonetic. The walking radical signals motion; pair it with the chí→cheese sound hook to lock in the 'late, slow, tardy' sense.
迟 — walk radical 辶 + sheep 羊 (phonetic)
迟 combines the walking radical 辶 with 羊 (sheep) as a phonetic clue. The original form depicted slow, lingering movement, giving the core meaning of 'late' or 'slow'. Over time it broadened to cover tardiness in time as well as physical slowness.