欢/歡 huān — joyous, merry; to be pleased; vigorous, lively

Pinyin

• huān (first tone, high and level)

joyous, merry; to be pleased; vigorous, lively

Character breakdown

• 又shape partA simplification shorthand. The traditional 歡 has 雚 guàn on the left for the sound; 又 replaced it, as it did in 汉, 难 and 鸡.
• 欠meaning partno entry yetA kneeling person with the mouth thrown open — here not a yawn but a shout of pleasure.

Mnemonic

The open mouth 欠 on the right, with 又 standing in for the phonetic that simplification cut away. It rarely appears alone: 喜欢 to like, 欢迎 to welcome — literally to meet somebody with joy — 欢乐 merriment, 欢迎光临 the greeting printed on every shop door.

A memory aid written by HSK Guide editors. It is not an etymology and does not describe the historical origin of the character.

Words containing 欢

• 喜欢/喜歡xǐhuan (third tone, dipping)to like, to be fond of
• 欢迎/歡迎huānyíng (first tone, high and level)to welcome