遇险
yù xiǎn · HSK 7
to get into difficulties
⚠️🆘 遇 yù = to meet/encounter + 险 xiǎn = danger/peril -> to run into danger
遇 means to meet or encounter; 险 means danger or risk (same 险 as 危险 danger and 保险 insurance). Together: to encounter peril, to get into trouble or meet with danger.
遇 — 辶 (walk radical) + 禺 (phonetic, monkey)
遇 is a phono-semantic compound. The walking radical 辶 supplies the meaning of going or moving along a road, while 禺 (an old word depicting a monkey-like creature) provides the sound. Together they evoke encountering someone while traveling, giving the modern senses 'meet,' 'come across,' or 'treat.'
险 — 阝(阜, mound) + 佥 (qiān, all/together)
Originally written 險 in traditional form, this is a semantic-phonetic compound. The 阝 (mound/hill) radical signals the original meaning of steep, dangerous terrain, while 佥 provided the sound. From rugged cliffs the meaning extended metaphorically to 'danger' and 'risk' in general.