The traditional form 湯 is a phono-semantic character. 氵, the water component, marks it as a liquid, while 昜 on the right mainly supplied the ancient sound. The character referred to hot or boiling water and then also to broth, soup and medicinal decoctions. Simplified 汤 keeps the water component and replaces 昜 with a shorter sound-side form. This seal-form-inspired sketch shows three water marks beside a compact, rising 昜.
A piece of culture
A bowl made for sharing Soup can be a simple part of a shared meal, and styles vary widely by region and household. In many Cantonese families, 湯水 (tong1 seoi2) is an affectionate everyday word for home-cooked soup, often associated with someone taking time to care for the people at the table. That does not make every soup a medicine; the lasting cultural image is the warm bowl offered and shared.