握る
にぎる · nigiru · JLPT N3 · verb-godan
to grasp
✊🍣 Nigiri sushi is rice squeezed by hand; 握 = hand 扌 + house 屋
The word nigiri, as in nigiri sushi, is the noun form of 握る: the chef presses the rice together in a closed hand. The kanji pairs the hand radical 扌 with 屋 (house), so the hand gives you its meaning, to grip.
握 — hand 扌 + 屋 wū (phonetic)
握 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The hand radical 扌 carries the meaning — actions done with the hand — while 屋 supplies the sound. The original sense is to grasp or hold tightly in the fist, which still matches its modern meaning.