觎 (yú): to covet

Meanings

几个强国觊觎这块富饶又险要的土地。

Jì yú

Several powers coveted this rich and strategic territory.

他从不觊觎别人的财产。

Jì yú

He never coveted others' property.

usage

觎 is a bound character used only in 觊觎, to covet something one should not have. The seeing radical reflects desire that begins with the eye.

radical

见 jiàn

to see; to look

见 is the see radical on the right. Coveting begins with looking at and desiring what is not yours, so the seeing radical carries the meaning.

phonetic

俞 yú

to assent; surname

俞 supplies the sound yú, matching its own reading exactly. It is the phonetic element on the left, the same one in 愉 and 输.

觎 yú