很
hěn · HSK 1
very
很 = double person radical 彳 + 艮 (stubborn); 'very/much' as intensifier
彳 is the 'step' radical, 艮 means stubborn or tough. Originally meant 'to disobey' (stubbornly walking against), now grammaticalized as the intensifier 'very'. Sounds like 'hun' — same family as 狠 (ruthless).
很 — 彳 (step radical) + 艮 (stopping/defiance)
很 originally depicted walking (彳) combined with 艮, suggesting going against or defying. Its early meaning was 'to disobey' or 'quarrel.' Over time it was borrowed phonetically as the common adverb meaning 'very,' which is its dominant modern use.