露
つゆ · tsuyu · JLPT N3 · noun
dew
💧🌿 露 = 雨 rain + 路 road: dew is the morning wet on the roadside
The 雨 rain radical on top marks weather-water, and 路 (road) below gives the old Chinese sound lù. Tsuyu is also the word for Japan's rainy season (梅雨), so both words belong to the wet-weather family.
露 — rain 雨 (top) + road 路 (bottom, phonetic)
露 combines 雨 'rain' as the meaning component with 路 'road' as the phonetic. It originally referred to dew — the moisture that settles overnight on outdoor paths. From there it extended to 'expose' or 'reveal,' since dew lies open on surfaces.