濡沫涸辙
rú​mò​hé​zhé

mutual aid

濡 rú, ruǎn, ér immerse

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 (water) represents the meaning and 需 represents the sound.

Components

氵
氵 Meaning component
shui, shuǐ water
需
需 Sound component
xū need

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Clerical form
Clerical Qin 221-206 BC
Clerical form
Clerical Western Han 202 BC-9 AD
Clerical form
Clerical Eastern Han 25-220 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartnyuno wet, glossy

說文解字

《說文》：“濡，水。出涿郡故安，東入漆涑。从水，需聲。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

沫 mò, mo froth

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 末 represents the sound.

Components

氵
氵 Meaning component
shui, shuǐ water

氵 is a component form of 水.

末
末 Sound component
mò end

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Warring States (Chu) 475-221 BC
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartmatmˤatfoam, spittle
Zhengzhangmaːd

說文解字

水。出蜀西徼外，東南入江。从水末聲。

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-SagartZhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

涸 hé dried up

To run out 氵 of strength 固; 固 also provides the pronunciation

Components

氵
氵 Meaning component
shui, shuǐ water
固
固 SoundMeaning component
gù to become solid

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld Chinese
Zhengzhangɡaːɡ
Unicodehɑk

說文解字

渴也。从水固聲。讀若狐貈之貈。

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Zhengzhang Shangfang
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)

辙 zhé, chè wagon ruts Simplified

Something left 徹 by a cart 车 when it moves 

Components

车
车 Meaning component
chē cart, vehicle
徹
徹 SoundSimplified component
chè penetrate, thorough

Sources

Readings & variants
Unicode

轍 wagon ruts Traditional

Components

車
車 Meaning component
chē cart, vehicle

cart

徹
徹 SoundRemnant component
chè penetrate, thorough

Character Evolution

Seal form
Seal Shuowen ~100 AD
Regular Modern

Historical Pronunciations

Middle ChineseOld ChineseGloss
Baxter-Sagartdrjet[d]ret wheel-track

說文解字

《說文新附》：“轍，車迹也。从車，徹省聲。本通用徹，後人所加。”

Sources

Character origin
漢語多功能字庫
Readings & variants
Unicode
Historical pronunciations
Baxter-Sagart
Historical images
Academia Sinica
Etymology
Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字)