陷阱
xiànjǐng · HSK 7
pitfall
🕳️ 陷 sink-into + 阱 pit = a hidden pit you sink into: a trap or pitfall
陷阱 literally stacks 陷 (to sink or fall into) onto 阱 (a covered pit dug to catch animals). Together they name the concealed hole itself, so the word means a trap, snare, or pitfall.
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'.