陷
xiàn · HSK 7
to get stuck
🕳️ 陷 = 阝(mound/pit) + a person falling into a hole — to fall into a trap
The right side shows a person tumbling into a pit dug in the ground. So 陷 (xiàn) is the pitfall itself and the act of getting stuck or sinking into it.
陷 — mound radical 阝(阜) + 臽 (person falling into pit)
陷 combines the mound/hill radical 阝 with 臽, which depicts a person falling into a pit or trap. The right side carries both meaning and sound, while the left signals terrain. The character originally meant a pitfall or to fall in, later extending to 'sink', 'trap', or 'frame someone'.