客 is a phono-semantic character. 宀, the roof at the top, points toward a house or indoor setting; 各 below mainly supplies the sound in the ancient language. Bronze and later seal forms already show this roof-over-各 structure. The whole character came to mean a person staying in someone else’s place: a guest or visitor. This ancient-form-inspired sketch keeps the shelter clear above the compact sound component.
A piece of culture
Welcoming someone through the door 客 often appears in the warm pair 主客, “host and guest”. Offering tea or food to a visitor is an everyday way to show hospitality across Chinese communities, although customs differ by family and region. You will also meet 客 in words for customer, passenger and Hakka people. Its basic image remains useful: someone who has arrived in a place that is not their own home.