Several parts combine into one character.

和 is a phono-semantic character: 禾 (grain) for sound and 口 (mouth) for meaning. Originally the sounds from many mouths (口) blending well — from which grew "to harmonize, to be on good terms, even, peace." It began from many voices forming an even chord.

Korean hanja-sound "hwa": 平和 (pyeonghwa, peace), 調和 (johwa, harmony), 和睦 (hwamok, concord), 和解 (hwahae, reconciliation), 溫和 (onhwa, gentle), 共和國 (gonghwaguk, republic). In East Asian thought 和 is a core value meaning concord without conflict.

Mandarin: hé, 2nd tone (to harmonize, and) / huo, neutral (to knead, warm). 和平 (hépíng, peace), 和谐 (héxié, harmony), 温和 (wēnhé, mild) / 我和你 (wǒ hé nǐ, you and I — the conjunction "and"). In modern Chinese 和 is used daily as the conjunction "and."

Japanese: on-readings ワ (wa) and オ (o), kun やわ.らぐ (yawaragu) and なご.む (nagomu). 平和 (heiwa, peace), 調和 (chōwa, harmony), 和風 (wafū, Japanese style), 和食 (washoku, Japanese cuisine), 昭和 (Shōwa). In Japan 和 (wa) came to mean "Japan itself" — 和服 (wafuku, kimono), 和室 (washitsu, a tatami room), 大和 (Yamato). 和 came to stand for Japan from rewriting the old name 倭 (Wa) with the auspicious 和.

Memory aid: the sounds of many mouths (口) blending evenly like grain (禾) — concord and peace.