幸福
こうふく · koufuku · JLPT N3 · noun
happiness
😊🍀 幸福 = fortune (幸) + blessing (福): luck plus blessings add up to happiness
Both kanji mean good fortune. 幸 is also read さいわい (luck), and 福 is the fuku in 福袋, the lucky bag sold at New Year. Stacking two kinds of luck gives you deep, lasting happiness.
福 — 示 (altar/spirit) + 畐 (full vessel)
福 originally depicted hands offering a full wine jar (畐) at an altar (示) to the spirits, asking for blessings. The 示 radical signals religious or ritual meaning, while 畐 suggests both the sound and the idea of fullness or abundance. Over time it came to mean 'good fortune' or 'blessing.'