秤
はかり · hakari · JLPT N2 · noun
scale
⚖️ 秤 = 禾 (grain) + 平 (level): a balance that keeps grain level when weighed
The left part 禾 is the grain radical, and 平 means flat or even. A level balance used to weigh grain gave the character its meaning.
秤 — grain 禾 + flat/even 平
A semantic-phonetic compound: 禾 (grain) gives the meaning, since steelyards were used to weigh harvested grain, while 平 (flat, level) suggests both the sound and the idea of balance. Originally written 稱, 秤 came to specifically mean a steelyard or balance scale, and by extension the unit of weight read as chèng.