急ぐ
いそぐ · isogu · JLPT N4 · verb-godan
to hurry
⏰ isogu sounds like is-so-GO: it is so go-go-go, no time to wait
急 is built from a grasping hand over 心 (heart): a heart seized by urgency. The same kanji gives 急行 (kyuukou, express train) and 急に (kyuu ni, suddenly), so 急 always signals speed or pressure.
急 — heart radical 心 + 及 (reach)
A semantic-phonetic compound: the heart radical 心 supplies the meaning (an emotional state) while 及 ('to reach, catch up') gives the sound. Originally it depicted a racing, anxious heart — hence the modern senses 'urgent,' 'hurried,' and 'impatient.'