乐

3 readings · tap one to hear it

happy; cheerful; to laugh

Make a writing worksheet

HSK 3.0: Level 2
Old HSK: Level 2
Strokes: 5
Radical: 丿 +4
Structure: Overlaid 叠加
Traditional: 乐
Common rank: #173
Unicode: U+4E50

Sound it out + = · + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

How 乐 is formed

Ideographic compound (会意字)

Simplified form of 樂, a musical instrument with wood 木, strings 幺, and a pick 白

Components 丿小 ? unknown part

How to remember it

music · Heisig RSH #662

drag + pole

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

Words with 乐

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
乐山市	Lè shān Shì	Leshan, prefecture-level city in Sichuan Province 四川省[Si4 chuan1 Sheng3]
安乐区	Ān lè Qū	Anle, a district of Keelung 基隆市[Ji1 long2 Shi4], Taiwan
乐安县	Lè ān Xiàn	Le'an, a county in Fuzhou City 撫州市\|抚州市[Fu3 zhou1 Shi4], Jiangxi
长乐区	Cháng lè Qū	Changle, a district of Fuzhou City 福州市[Fu2 zhou1 Shi4], Fujian
平乐县	Píng lè Xiàn	Pingle, a county in Guilin City 桂林市[Gui4 lin2 Shi4], Guangxi
乐平市	Lè píng Shì	Leping, a county-level city in Jingdezhen City 景德鎮市\|景德镇市[Jing3 de2 zhen4 Shi4], Jiangxi
长乐公主	Cháng lè Gōng zhǔ	Princess Changle of Western Wei of the Northern dynasties 西魏[Xi1 Wei4], given in marriage …
南乐县	Nán lè Xiàn	Nanle, a county in Puyang City 濮陽市\|濮阳市[Pu2 yang2 Shi4], Henan
乐子	lè zi	fun; pleasure; laughing matter
新乐市	Xīn lè Shì	Xinle, a county-level city in Shijiazhuang City 石家莊市\|石家庄市[Shi2 jia1 zhuang1 Shi4], Hebei
国乐	guó yuè	national music; Chinese traditional music
乐山	Lè shān	see 樂山市\|乐山市[Le4 shan1 Shi4]
乐开花	lè kāi huā	to burst with joy
老头乐	lǎo tóu lè	backscratcher (made from bamboo etc); (may also refer to other products that are of benefi…
乐东县	Lè dōng xiàn	Ledong Lizu autonomous county, Hainan
乐儿	lè r	see 樂子\|乐子[le4 zi5]
乐天	Lè tiān	Lotte (South Korean conglomerate)
乐天	lè tiān	carefree; happy-go-lucky; optimistic
民乐县	Mín lè Xiàn	Minle, a county in Zhangye City 張掖市\|张掖市[Zhang1 ye4 Shi4], Gansu
性乐	xìng lè	sexual pleasure; orgasm

Sound family

These characters use 乐 as their sound component — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
乐 sound part	lè	cheerful, happy, laughing; music
砾	lì	gravel, pebbles
栎	lì	chestnut-leaved oak
铄	shuò	to melt, to smelt; polish, shine
泺	luò	a river in Shandong province
跞	lì	to walk, to move
轹	lì	to run over something in a vehicle