Radical 口

7 strokes

員

mouth 口 (5) + sea shell 贝 (477a) = member 员

This character is often used to mean “employee”, or a person performing a role.

[人员 (12) rényuán staff, personnel]

[店员 (186) diànyuán shop assistant]

You have to hold a sea shell in your mouth (during the initiation ceremony) before you can become a member of the seafood club. / The fairy then gives you a commemoration yuan coin.