楽

• Reading: らく
• Romaji: raku
• Kanji breakdown: 楽 (raku) — comfort, ease, music, enjoyment
• Pronunciation: /ɾa.kɯ/

Meaning

Easy; comfortable; relaxed. Describes a state of ease or lack of difficulty.

A na-adjective and noun with two key senses: physical/mental comfort (楽な姿勢, a comfortable position) and ease of effort (楽な仕事, an easy job). Also used in the pattern 楽になる (to become easier/more comfortable) and 楽をする (to take the easy way). Related to 楽しい (tanoshii, fun) but 楽 focuses on comfort and ease rather than enjoyment.

Examples

1. この椅子は座り心地が楽だ。 This chair is really comfortable to sit in.
2. 引っ越してから通勤が楽になった。 My commute got a lot easier after I moved.
3. 楽な方法ばかり選んでいては成長しない。 You won't grow if you always take the easy way out.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, work, comfort

Tone: relaxed

Origin & History

The kanji 楽 originally depicted a musical instrument on a wooden stand, representing music and enjoyment. From the pleasure of music, it extended to mean comfort and ease. The same kanji is used in 音楽 (ongaku, music).

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal