喜怒哀楽

• Reading: きどあいらく
• Romaji: kidoairaku
• Kanji breakdown: 喜 (ki) — joy; 怒 (do) — anger; 哀 (ai) — sorrow; 楽 (raku) — pleasure
• Pronunciation: /ki.do.a.i.ɾa.kɯ/

Meaning

Human emotions; the full spectrum of feelings represented as joy, anger, grief, and pleasure. A four-character compound (yojijukugo) encompassing all emotional states.

A yojijukugo (four-character idiom) listing the four fundamental human emotions: 喜 (joy), 怒 (anger), 哀 (sorrow), 楽 (pleasure). Used to refer collectively to emotional expressiveness or the full range of human feelings. Phrases like 喜怒哀楽が豊か (emotionally expressive) and 喜怒哀楽を表す (to express one's emotions) are common.

Examples

1. 喜怒哀楽を素直に表現できる人は信頼されやすい。 People who can honestly express the full range of their emotions tend to earn trust easily.
2. 人生は喜怒哀楽の連続だと、祖父はよく言っていた。 My grandfather often said that life is a continuous cycle of joy, anger, grief, and pleasure.
3. 彼女の演技は喜怒哀楽のすべてを見事に表現していた。 Her acting brilliantly portrayed the entire spectrum of human emotion.

Usage Guide

Context: psychology, literature, everyday conversation

Tone: philosophical

Origin & History

A classical Chinese-derived compound listing the four canonical emotions recognised in Confucian thought. Each character represents a distinct emotional category, together forming a complete map of the human inner world.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal