乐lè

乐

Hover to feel · click to explore

Simplified · Today

简体

Simplified Chinese

Modern simplified form (簡體). 乐 (lè, "joy/happy") was reduced from traditional 樂, which originally depicted drums and strings — music itself, the source of happiness. Though the simplified version strips away the instrument imagery, the meaning endures: whether read as lè or yuè (music), the character still carries the sound of celebration.

← → navigate · swipe on mobile

Shuowen

Music. The oracle bone form of 乐 depicts a person (or hand) playing a stringed instrument, such as a lute, with a frame and strings, representing music and joy. The original meaning is "music" or "pleasant sound", and the shape is used because it visually shows a person playing an instrument, symbolizing happiness and entertainment. The meaning later extended to "pleasure, happiness, to enjoy", and the character retains the instrument motif in its modern form, used in words like "快乐" (happy) and "音乐" (music).

Pinyin

lè· HSK 2

乐lè

Character evolution

Shuowen

Pinyin