to select

to choose; to pick over; to pick out; to differentiate; to eliminate; also pr. [zhai2]

hand (扌) + phonetic = to pick and choose

The right side 择 (without the hand radical) is largely phonetic, lending the zé sound. The hand radical anchors the action: physically sorting through options with your fingers.

HandSemantic
圣(without 扌)The right-side component contributes the sound zéPhonetic

Words with 择

选择

xuǎn zé

to select; to pick

选择性

xuǎn zé xìng

selective

选择题

xuǎn zé tí

multiple-choice question

饥不择食

jī bù zé shí

when hungry, you can't pick what you eat (idiom); beggars can't be choosers

不加选择

bù jiā xuǎn zé

indiscriminate

不择手段

bù zé shǒu duàn

by fair means or foul

别无选择

bié wú xuǎn zé

to have no other choice

口不择言

kǒu bù zé yán

to speak incoherently

口无择言

kǒu wú zé yán

to say not a word that is not appropriate (idiom)

天择

tiān zé

natural selection

张择端

zhāng zé duān

Zhang Zeduan (1085-1145), Song dynasty painter

抉择

jué zé

to choose (literary)

More characters with 扌