爱

Why does 爱 look like this?

The top part represents a 'hand' (爪), the middle is a 'heart' (心), and the bottom part in the traditional version originally showed 'slow walking' or 'legs' (夊). Together, it beautifully illustrates the idea of 'giving your heart' or the heart leading one's actions. In the simplified version '爱', the heart icon is replaced by a horizontal stroke, but the feeling of warmth and affection remains!