Chinese Character: 乐
1. Character Basics
Radical: 丿 (pie radical)
Stroke Count: 5
Stroke Order:
2. Pronunciation
Pinyin: lè (Fourth tone) and yuè (Fourth tone) - multiple pronunciations
3. Meaning
Happy; joyful; pleased; glad; to enjoy; music; musical instrument
4. Common Words
- 快乐 (kuàilè) - happy; joyful
- 音乐 (yīnyuè) - music
- 乐观 (lèguān) - optimistic
- 乐意 (lèyì) - willing; glad to
- 乐园 (lèyuán) - paradise; pleasure ground
- 乐队 (yuèduì) - band; orchestra
- 乐趣 (lèqù) - pleasure; joy; delight
- 乐器 (yuèqì) - musical instrument
5. Grammar & Usage
The character "乐" is a versatile character with two main pronunciations and uses:
- lè: Used as an adjective meaning happy or joyful, or as a verb meaning to enjoy
- yuè: Used as a noun related to music or musical instruments
Grammar Patterns:
- 快 + 乐: 快乐 (happy)
- 音 + 乐: 音乐 (music)
- 乐 + 观/意/趣: 乐观 (optimistic), 乐意 (willing), 乐趣 (pleasure)
- 乐 + 园/队/器: 乐园 (paradise), 乐队 (band), 乐器 (musical instrument)
- 作为动词: 我乐意为你帮忙 (I'm glad to help you)
6. Cultural Background
The character "乐" holds significant cultural importance in Chinese society, representing both happiness and music, two essential elements of Chinese culture.
In traditional Chinese philosophy, happiness (乐) is considered one of the fundamental human emotions and goals. The concept of "乐" is closely related to Confucian ideas of harmony and balance.
Music (乐) has played a central role in Chinese culture for thousands of years. Traditional Chinese music includes various instruments like the guqin (古琴), erhu (二胡), and pipa (琵琶).
The character is often used in idioms and proverbs related to happiness and music, such as "乐不思蜀" (lè bù sī shǔ), which means "to enjoy oneself so much that one forgets to return home."
During festivals and celebrations, music and joyful activities are essential components, reflecting the cultural significance of "乐" in Chinese life.
7. Example Sentence
中文: 音乐能给人带来快乐。
Pinyin: Yīnyuè néng gěi rén dàilái kuàilè.
English: Music can bring people happiness.
8. Memory Tips
The character "乐" (lè/yuè) has a simple structure that can help with memorization:
- The top part resembles a roof, while the bottom part has a horizontal line with two dots above it
- For the pronunciation "lè" (happy), associate it with a smiling face, as the dots can look like eyes
- For the pronunciation "yuè" (music), think of it as a person dancing under a roof, representing the joy of music
Remember that this character has two main pronunciations with different meanings: "lè" for happiness and "yuè" for music.
Practice writing the character following the stroke order to help remember its structure.
Associate the character with common words like "快乐" (happy) and "音乐" (music) to reinforce its meaning and usage.