除夕
Chú xī · HSK 5
lunar New Year's Eve
🎆 除 = remove + 夕 = evening: the evening that removes the old year
除 means to remove or eliminate; 夕 is evening or dusk. Together: the evening that sweeps away the old year before the lunar new year begins. Compare 除夜 (same idea, with 夜 = night).
除 — left ear/mound 阝 + surplus 余
除 combines the 'mound/steps' radical 阝 (originally 阜, a hill) with 余 as the phonetic. It first meant the steps of a palace, then extended to 'remove' or 'clear away' (as one sweeps steps clean), and later to mathematical 'divide.'