魂
hún · HSK 7
soul
👻 魂 = 云 (yún, cloud) + 鬼 (ghost): the cloud-ghost, and 云 also cues the hún sound
魂 pairs the phonetic 云 (yún) on the left with 鬼 (guǐ, ghost) on the right. The 云 component lends both a hint of the hún reading and the sense of a cloud-like spirit that drifts free of the body.
魂 — 云 (cloud, phonetic) + 鬼 (ghost, semantic)
魂 is a phono-semantic compound. The 鬼 component (ghost/spirit) gives the meaning, referring to the soul or spiritual essence, while 云 (cloud) supplies the sound. In ancient Chinese thought, 魂 named the ethereal soul that rises to heaven at death, paired with 魄 the bodily soul.