可乐
kě lè · HSK 3
cola
🥤 可 (can/may) + 乐 (happy) — literally can-happy, a loan rendering of cola
可乐 doubles as the adjective amusing/entertaining (something that can make you happy) and as the loanword for cola, chosen because the syllables kě-lè approximate the English sound while the characters carry a fitting can-bring-joy meaning.
可 — mouth 口 + breath marker 丁 (modified)
可 originally depicted a mouth (口) with a curved stroke suggesting exhaled breath or speech, conveying approval or assent. From this came the meaning 'to permit' or 'can,' as granting permission was expressed verbally. Today it broadly means 'may,' 'can,' or 'approve.'
乐 — stylized depiction of a wooden instrument with strings
Originally a pictograph of a wooden frame holding strings or bells, representing a musical instrument. The character first meant 'music' (read yuè), and by extension came to mean 'joy, happiness' (read lè), since music brings pleasure. The simplified form 乐 streamlines the older 樂.