锯
jū , jù · HSK 7
a saw
🪚 锯 = metal 钅 + 居 (jū, phonetic); a metal tool, the saw
The left side 钅 is the metal radical, flagging a metal tool; the right side 居 (jū) is the phonetic, giving the sound jù. Together: a metal saw used to cut wood.
锯 — metal radical 钅 + 居 (jū)
A semantic-phonetic compound. The metal radical 钅 indicates the meaning, since saws are metal cutting tools, while 居 supplies the sound 'jū'. The original meaning of a toothed cutting blade has remained stable, and the verb sense 'to saw' developed naturally from the noun.