huān

happy

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. (yawn) is a pictograph of a person with an open mouth, used here to represent a person joyfully laughing.

Components
雚 sound component

  Sound component

guànhuán

  

heron

欠 iconic component

  Iconic component

qiàn

  

yawn, deficient

Depicts a person opening their mouth to laugh.

Evolution

歡 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
歡 Clerical script Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
歡 Clerical script Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
歡 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

() 

huān

happy, pleased, glad; joy; to enjoy; joyous; happy; pleased

Most common words with 歡
Freq.
Word
Meaning

喜欢

to like

欢迎

to welcome

欢乐

gaiety

joyous

狂欢

party