砂利

じゃり · jari · JLPT N1 · noun

gravel

🪨 砂 (sand) + 利 (sharp): sharp little bits of rock and sand, i.e. gravel

Say jari like 'jar-ee': gravel crunching underfoot, like rocks rattling in a jar. The grit in the crunch is the sharp sand that makes up 砂利.

利 — grain 禾 + knife 刂
Originally a pictograph showing a knife (刂) cutting grain (禾), depicting harvest. From the idea of a sharp blade reaping crops, it extended to mean 'sharp,' then 'benefit,' 'profit,' or 'advantage' — the gain that comes from a successful harvest.

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