通貨
つうか · tsuuka · JLPT N3 · noun
currency
💴🪙 通 pass through + 貨 goods/money = money that passes from hand to hand
通 (tsuu) means to pass through or circulate, as in 通る. 貨 (ka) means goods or money, as in 貨物 (cargo). Currency is the money that circulates: tsuu + ka.
通 — 辵 (辶) walk + 甬 yǒng (phonetic)
通 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The 辶 (chuò) component means 'walk' or 'movement', giving the meaning of going through or passing. 甬 (yǒng), originally depicting a hanging bell or a path, supplies the sound. Together they convey 'to pass through, communicate, connect'.