乐
happy
At a glance · 乐
Evolution of the glyph
Five stages, from a sketch of the real object to regular script — tap a stage, drag the timeline, or play the animation.
Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seenOracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCESeal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCEClerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CERegular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE
⚠ Some ancient forms are not attested：oracle bone form、seal script form。No excavated oracle bone / seal artifact is attested for this character yet; we leave it blank rather than fabricate.
「乐」繁体「樂」从木从丝从白，金文象架上弦鼓，小篆承之。
What the sketch shows
Origins & notes
「乐」本义为音乐，引申快乐、喜好。
Structure
从木从丝从白，会意字，象琴瑟之属，本为音乐，简作乐。
At a glance
Pinyinlè
Radical丿
Strokes5
UnicodeU+4E50
Character type会意
Theme礼乐
Six languages, one character
Each page offers hreflang versions; switching language keeps the glyphs and meanings aligned.
English
happy
happy, glad; enjoyable; music
Français
joie / musique
Joie, musique. «乐殊贵贱» : la musique rituelle diffère selon le rang.
Español
alegría / música
Alegría, música. «乐殊贵贱»: la música ritual difiere según el rango.
العربية
بهجة / موسيقى
بهجة، موسيقى. «乐殊贵贱»: الموسى الطقسية تختلف بحسب الرتبة.
Русский
радость / музыка
Радость, музыка. «乐殊贵贱»: ритуальная музыка различается по рангу.
Common words
- 快乐kuài lèhappy
- 音乐yīn yuèmusic