乐

• 拼音: lè
• 汉字拆解: 乐 = simplified from 樂, originally a pictograph of a stringed instrument on a stand — music and joy share the same root

含义

To be happy; to laugh; to be amused. Describes a state of joy or amusement.

As a verb (lè), it means to be happy, amused, or to laugh with pleasure. Very commonly used in spoken Chinese, often in phrases like 乐了 (cracked up laughing) or 乐呵呵 (happily, cheerfully). Also appears in compounds like 快乐 (happy), 欢乐 (joyful), and 娱乐 (entertainment). Note: when read as yuè, it means music, but this entry covers the lè reading.

例句

1. 听了这个笑话，大家都乐了。
2. 他看到孩子的样子，乐得不行。
3. 别光自己乐，也让我们看看。

用法指南

语境: daily life, casual, humour

语气: cheerful

正确说法

• 这件事让我乐了半天。(This thing had me laughing for ages.)
• 你乐什么呢？(What are you so happy about?)

错误说法

• 我很乐。(Don't use 乐 with 很 as a simple adjective — say 我很高兴 or 我很开心 instead. 乐 is used more as a verb meaning to crack up or in compounds like 快乐.)

起源与历史

The character 乐 originally depicted a musical instrument on a wooden stand. Music brings happiness, so the character came to mean both music (yuè) and joy (lè).

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal