Origin

This character combines the heart radical on the left, which marks the character as relating to emotions or feelings, with the component 兌 on the right that serves as a sound hint for pronunciation. The heart radical is the key to the meaning—joy and ecstasy are fundamentally emotional experiences centered in the heart. The right component doesn't contribute meaning but guides how the character should be pronounced, making this an efficient way to write down the concept of happiness while hinting at its sound.