随即
suíjí · HSK 7
presently
⏩ 随即 = 随 follow + 即 at once = right after, one thing follows immediately
随 means follow and 即 means at once or instantly. Stack them and 随即 marks the very next beat: thereupon, presently. Sounds like sway-jee, a quick follow-up step.
随 — 辶 (walk) + 阝 (mound) + 有 phonetic
随 combines the walk radical 辶 with a phonetic component derived from 隋. The original sense is 'to follow along a path,' from the walking radical suggesting movement after someone. Over time it broadened to mean 'follow,' 'accompany,' or 'comply with.'
即 — 皀 (food vessel) + 卩 (kneeling person)
Originally a pictograph showing a person kneeling beside a food vessel, about to eat. The original sense was 'to approach (the meal)' or 'to draw near.' From this came extended meanings like 'immediately,' 'at once,' and 'namely,' since approaching something happens right away.