沟通 (gōutōng) · to communicate

沟 gōu · ditch

What 沟 is made of

• 氵shuǐ — water
• 勾gōu — to hook
  • 勹bāo — wrap shape
    • 丿 — falling stroke
  • 厶sī — private

通 tōng · to go through

What 通 is made of

• 辶 — walking, moving
• 甬yǒng — path
  • 用yòng — to use
    • 冂 — frame

Origin hint: 辶 gives the meaning, 甬 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)