Several parts combine into one character.

Compound ideograph: 重 (heavy / from earlier batch) + 力 (force / strength, just discussed). The encoded meaning: "to apply force to heavy things" → to move. Three forms: 繁體 動 / 新字体 動 / 简体 动 — Japan kept traditional, Mainland China simplified the right side. The Japan-only kokuji 働 (work, from previous batch) was created by adding 亻 to this character.

動 anchors a vast vocabulary of motion, action, and emotion across CJK languages. The character covers physical motion AND emotional movement — to be 感動 (kandō / gǎndòng) is to be "moved" both literally and figuratively, just as in English.

Mandarin: dòng, falling 4th tone (simplified 动). 动物 (dòngwù, animal — "moving creature"), 运动 (yùndòng, sports / movement), 动作 (dòngzuò, action), 感动 (gǎndòng, to be moved emotionally), 活动 (huódòng, activity), 自动 (zìdòng, automatic). The 〜动 suffix is highly productive — anything that moves uses it.

Japanese: on-reading ドウ (dō) is dominant — 動物 (dōbutsu, animal), 運動 (undō, exercise / movement), 動作 (dōsa, action / motion), 感動 (kandō, moved / impressed), 活動 (katsudō, activity), 自動 (jidō, automatic), 不動産 (fudōsan, real estate — "non-moving property"), 自動車 (jidōsha, automobile — "self-moving vehicle"). Kun-reading うご.く (ugo.ku, to move — intransitive) and うご.かす (ugo.kasu, to move something — transitive). The transitive/intransitive pair is essential.

The English idiom "I was moved" (emotionally) translates directly to 動 / 动 in CJK languages — 感動 / 感动 (to be moved by something). The metaphor is universal.

Memory aid: heavy thing + force = motion. The literal physics of CJK movement.