leaf, plane, lobe, needle, blade, spear, counter for flat things, fragment, piece
葉 centers on thin, flat, blade-like parts: a leaf on a plant, a flat fragment or piece, and by extension a counter for flat things. The meanings 'plane', 'lobe', 'needle', 'blade', and 'spear' all describe thin, flat, or pointed shapes that resemble a leaf.
葉 combines the plant radical 艹 with 枼, which likely contributes the sound and originally depicted thin, flat objects like leaves or pages. The modern form keeps the plant association and the flat-object idea.
The top 艹 suggests plants, and the bottom 枼 looks like a tree 木 with layered flat shapes 世 on top. Picture a tree covered in flat green leaves: 葉 is a leaf.
For ヨウ, imagine a yellow leaf floating down: yellow -> ヨウ, and the leaf lands softly on the ground.
language; dialect
leaf; blade (of grass); (pine) needle; frond; foliage
Chiba (city, prefecture)
fresh leaves
maple (tree)
leaves turning red (in autumn); red leaves; autumn colours; fall colors
leaf; blade (of grass); (pine) needle
postcard
seed leaves (of a dicot); cotyledons; bud; sprout
new leaves; young leaves; fresh verdure
password; watchword
cigar
leaf (of a tree); tree leaves; foliage
fallen leaves; leaf litter; falling leaves
dead leaf; dry leaves
branches and leaves; foliage
picture postcard
broadleaf tree; broad-leaved tree
spoken language; colloquial expression
speech; expression; wording; language
written word; written language
inquisitively; pryingly; nosily; thoroughly; persistently; through-and-through