Meanings & readings
Meanings & dictionary uses
4 senses · 6 wordsMusic
Happiness or pleasure
Take delight in; appreciate
A reading in particular place names
Languages & readings
Choose a recorded reading. Explore other varieties through their reference sources below.
Mandarin
Sense-linked readingsReadings & meanings
Usage scope
Regional and word-specific qualifications remain attached to the sense and vocabulary records.
Cantonese
Selected character readingSource & reading limitations
Jyutping · Unihan 17.0.0
This property supplies a customary character reading for collation and transliteration. It does not list every reading or identify the reading for each word and sense. It also does not encode a separate regional label for each value.
Other Chinese languages & varieties
Reference guides · character readings not yet imported.
Taiwanese Hokkien 臺灣台語Reference sources only
The Ministry of Education dictionary is the reference for Taiwanese vocabulary and readings. Its Tâi-lô guide distinguishes citation tones from changes in connected speech. Other Hokkien varieties require their own sources.
- Reference variety
- Taiwanese Hokkien, with the regional distinctions recorded by Taiwan's Ministry of Education
- Notation
- Tâi-lô (臺羅), as used by the linked MOE dictionary
Hakka 客語Reference sources only
Taiwan's Ministry of Education documents six Hakka varieties separately. Choose the variety before comparing readings; a single undifferentiated Hakka pronunciation would hide meaningful differences.
- Reference variety
- Taiwan: Sixian, Hailu, Dapu, Raoping, Zhao'an and Southern Sixian
- Notation
- Taiwan Hakka Romanization System (臺灣客語拼音方案)
Teochew 潮州話／潮汕話Reference sources only
Explore CUHK's published Chaozhou lexicon and its separate Shantou sound table. These reference locations remain explicit: readings from one locality should not stand in for every Teochew variety.
- Reference variety
- Chaozhou lexicon; separate Shantou syllable-table resource
- Notation
- Source phonetic transcription; no shared local romanization imported
Wu 吳語・上海話Reference sources only
The linked university resource documents Shanghai. Wu also includes other local varieties; Shanghai readings should retain that location label when compared with Mandarin or Cantonese.
- Reference variety
- Shanghai
- Notation
- Phonetic transcription and tone values in the linked CUHK table
Eastern Min 閩東語・福州話Reference sources only
Fuzhou is an Eastern Min reference variety. Its dedicated CUHK sound table offers a starting point; other Eastern Min localities need distinct records and source attribution.
- Reference variety
- Fuzhou
- Notation
- Phonetic transcription and tone values in the linked CUHK table
Gan 贛語・南昌話Reference sources only
Begin with CUHK's Nanchang sound table. The broader Gan group contains local differences, so future readings should identify Nanchang or another documented locality explicitly.
- Reference variety
- Nanchang
- Notation
- Phonetic transcription and tone values in the linked CUHK table
Xiang 湘語・長沙話Reference sources only
Begin with CUHK's Changsha sound table. Keep Changsha separate from other Xiang localities when adding readings; the group name does not denote one uniform pronunciation.
- Reference variety
- Changsha
- Notation
- Phonetic transcription and tone values in the linked CUHK table
Form & structure
Structure & components
0 direct parts- Layout
- single
- Index radical
- 丿 · 4 · 4 residual strokes
This pilot treats 乐 as one abbreviated modern shape. Its strokes are not assigned separate historical meanings. The more visibly segmented traditional 樂 can be compared alongside it without claiming that every modern stroke corresponds one-to-one.
Follow the recorded parts
recorded boundaryA boundary means no finer analysis is published here; it does not assert an indivisible unit. Radical classification and component structure are separate.
Inspect the component network ↗Writing
5 strokesModern stroke order; regional conventions can differ. [47]
Words & connections
Examples
2 sentences這家店賣樂器。
这家店卖乐器。
This shop sells musical instruments.
他對未來很樂觀。
他对未来很乐观。
He is optimistic about the future.
Original editorial sentences. Pinyin uses dictionary tones; connected speech may differ.
Connections
0 phonetic neighboursThis pilot does not link this character to a sound (phonetic) family. Explore the other recorded relationships below.
History & distinctions
Etymology & evidence
1 accountsThe historical dossier is shared
CUHK identifies 乐 with traditional 樂 and links that historical entry. Earlier forms and competing interpretations are discussed there; this route focuses on the current simplified spelling and its sense-linked readings.
Reading this character · explanatory note
乐 is the simplified character shared by 音乐, music, and 快乐, happy. Their sounds differ: yīnyuè versus kuàilè. That difference makes this a good place to move beyond a one-character, one-pronunciation habit. Read the complete word before choosing a sound. The less common readings yào and lào have specifically labeled literary and place-name contexts below. For the earlier written forms, follow 樂, whose history is linked with instruments and has unresolved details. The abbreviated shape is a modern reading aid, not an independently supported drawing of happiness or a complete explanation of musical history.
Historical specimens remain at their sources. No dated attestation sequence or licensed specimen image is claimed.
Inspect CUHK’s forms and discussion ↗Forms & distinctions
音乐 → 音樂, 乐器 → 樂器, 快乐 → 快樂, 乐观 → 樂觀. These conversions preserve the intended words. They do not turn all instances of 乐 into one reading, and a name must be checked as a name rather than guessed from common vocabulary.
东 and 乐 are both compact abbreviated shapes, but they are unrelated as modern vocabulary items: east versus music or pleasure. Compare the full stroke pattern and word context.
Sources & reference
Sources & research
6 sourcesLocator & rights
Character entry; 形義通解, 繁簡對應, and cited Shuowen discussion where present · link_only · 2026-10-12
Locator & rights
Release 2026-10-12T08:13:53Z. Exact word-reading locators are retained with each WordRecord. · permitted · 2026-10-12
Locator & rights
Four readings with sense sections: yuè, lè, lào, yào · link_only · 2026-10-12
Locator & rights
Headword; 漢語拼音 and 釋義 · link_only · 2026-10-12
Locator & rights
17.0.0 · permitted · 2026-10-12
Locator & rights
bddc96d41bef78427ed0e034e9f7e31d71fd1b92 · permitted · 2026-10-12
Open research · 2 items
- The dated history of specific abbreviated 乐 forms has not yet been established.
- The reading list is intentionally scoped and does not exhaust all names or historical variants.
Cited claims compared with the consulted entries; no independent expert review recorded.
Readings across dictionaries
- Xiandai Hanyu · 1983
- lè 0683.040 · yuè 1430.060
- Tongyong Guifan · 2013
- lè 212.030 · yuè 453.020
- Reading counts · XDHYPLCD
- lè(283) yuè(54)