可愛そう
かわいそう · kawaisou · JLPT N3 · na-adj
poor
😿 Kawaii's sad twin: kawai-SOU = so pitiful it hurts
Kawaii and kawaisou share an old root, kawayushi, which meant pitiable or hard to look at. Kawaii drifted toward cute, while kawaisou kept the pity. Its usual spelling is 可哀想, with 哀 for sorrow. 可愛そう is a respelling borrowed from kawaii.
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.'