同調
どうちょう · douchou · JLPT N1 · noun
sympathy
🎵 同 = same + 調 = tune: two people on the same tune, so they agree
同 means same and 調 means tune or key, as in 調子. Sympathy is like two instruments matching pitch, so their feelings line up.
同 — 冂 enclosure + 一 + 口 mouth
Originally depicted multiple mouths gathered under one cover or enclosure, suggesting people speaking together in agreement. From this image of voices joining, it came to mean 'same,' 'together,' or 'alike.' The shared cover symbolizes unity.