樂

See also: 乐 and 楽

Translingual

Traditional	樂
Shinjitai	楽
Simplified	乐

Alternative forms

• In mainland China (for its traditional form based on Xin Zixing (deprecated template usage) 新字形), Japanese kanji, Korean hanja and Vietnamese Nôm, the bottom component is written 木, which is the historical form found in the Kangxi dictionary.
• In Taiwan and Hong Kong (based on the Big5 encoding standard), the bottom component is written 𣎳 instead.
• Three CJK compatibility ideographs exist at U+F914, U+F95C and U+F9BF. All three forms are the same as the form used in Korean hanja.

Han character

樂 (Kangxi radical 75, 木+11, 15 strokes, cangjie input 女戈木 (VID), four-corner 2290₄, composition ⿱⿲幺白幺木(GHJKV) or ⿱⿲幺白幺⿻十八(T))

Derived characters

• 𭀅, 𠘙, 嚛(𪠸), 㜰, 𡾒, 㦡, 擽(𭢫/㧰), 濼(泺), 𤢴, 𣋵, 䑈, 櫟(檪/栎), 爍(𭶒/烁), 瓅(𬍛), 皪, 䁻(䀥), 礫(䃯/砾), 𥽗, 纅, 𦘈, 𧔉, 觻, 𧭥, 䟏, 躒(跞), 轢(𮝩/轹), 䤕, 鑠(𮣏/铄), 𩟧, 𩧂, 鱳, 𫿾, 𪇱, 藥(薬/𣛙), 𤻲(𬏤)

Related characters

• 楽 (Japanese shinjitai)
• 乐 (Simplified Chinese)

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 548, character 20
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 15399
• Dae Jaweon: page 936, character 6
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1280, character 16
• Unihan data for U+6A02

• Unihan data for U+F914

• Unihan data for U+F95C

• Unihan data for U+F9BF

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Chinese

trad.		樂
simp.		乐
alternative forms		楽

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 樂
Shang	Western Zhou	Spring and Autumn	Warring States			Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Bronze inscriptions	Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Qin slip script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (樂) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
樂	*ŋraːwɢs, *raːwɢ, *ŋraːwɢ
轢	*raːd, *raːwɢ, *reːwɢ
濼	*pqʰlaːwɢ, *raːwɢ, *reːwɢ, *pqʰloːwɢ, *roːwɢ, *roːwɢ
躒	*raːwɢ, *reːwɢ
擽	*rawɢ, *reːwɢ
爍	*qʰljawɢ
鑠	*qʰljawɢ
藥	*lawɢ
櫟	*lawɢ, *reːwɢ
纅	*lawɢ
礫	*reːwɢ
瓅	*reːwɢ
皪	*reːwɢ
觻	*reːwɢ, *roːwɢ
嚛	*qʰloːwɢ, *qʰloːwɢ

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) : 糸 (“string”) + 木 (“wood”) – strings on a piece of wood, i.e. a wooden musical instrument.

The oracle bone form shows two strings connected to the wood. In the bronze inscriptions, a 白 (OC *braːɡ) component was added in between the two strings, which may either represent the thumb (fiddling) or a phonetic part.

Etymology

“music; joyful”

The etymological relationship between “music” and “joy” has been discussed in Wulff (1935) and Unger (1983). Unger draws comparison with the following semantic parallelism in Tibetan: རོལ་མོ (rol mo, “music”) and རོལ (rol, “to enjoy; to amuse oneself; to play”).

Also comparable is and , whence Thai เล่น (lên, “to play”) and เพลง (pleeng, “music”).

Pronunciation 1

Definitions

(deprecated template usage) 樂

1. music; tune; melody; song

   音樂／音乐  ―  yīnyuè  ―  music

2. ^† to play music; to sing
3. ^† musical instrument
4. Short for 樂經／乐经 (Yuèjīng, “Classic of Music”).
5. a surname

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (樂):

• → Japanese: 楽(がく) (gaku)
• → Korean: 악(樂) (ak)
• → Vietnamese: ngạc (樂)

Pronunciation 2

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): lè (le⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄌㄜˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): lok⁶
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): lo̍k

  (Meixian, Guangdong): log⁶

• Eastern Min (BUC): lŏk
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): lo̍k

  (Teochew, Peng'im): lag⁸

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁵loq

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: lè
    • Zhuyin: ㄌㄜˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: lè
    • Wade–Giles: lê⁴
    • Yale: lè
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: leh
    • Palladius: лэ (lɛ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɤ⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: lok⁶
    • Yale: lohk
    • Cantonese Pinyin: lok⁹
    • Guangdong Romanization: log⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɔːk̚²/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: lo̍k
    • Hakka Romanization System: log
    • Hagfa Pinyim: log⁶
    • Sinological IPA: /lok̚⁵/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: log⁶
    • Sinological IPA: /lɔk̚⁵/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: lŏk
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /l̃ouʔ⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lo̍k
    • Tâi-lô: lo̍k
    • Phofsit Daibuun: lok
    • IPA (Xiamen): /lɔk̚⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /lɔk̚²⁴/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /lɔk̚¹²¹/
    • IPA (Taipei): /lɔk̚⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /lɔk̚⁴/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: lag⁸
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: la̍k
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lak̚⁴/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁵loq
    • MiniDict: 'loh^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ²'loq
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /loʔ³⁴/

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• Middle Chinese: lak

Rime
Character	樂
Reading #	3/3
Initial (聲)	來 (37)
Final (韻)	鐸 (103)
Tone (調)	Checked (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	盧各切
Baxter	lak
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/lɑk̚/
Pan Wuyun	/lɑk̚/
Shao Rongfen	/lɑk̚/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/lak̚/
Li Rong	/lɑk̚/
Wang Li	/lɑk̚/
Bernard Karlgren	/lɑk̚/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	luò
Expected Cantonese Reflex	lok6

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[r]ˤawk/

  (Zhengzhang): /*raːwɢ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	樂
Reading #	2/4
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	lè
Middle Chinese	‹ lak ›
Old Chinese	/*[r]ˁawk/
English	joy; enjoy
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	樂
Reading #	2/3
No.	7673
Phonetic component	樂
Rime group	藥
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	落
Old Chinese	/*raːwɢ/

Definitions

(deprecated template usage) 樂

1. joyful; happy; glad
2. enjoyable; fun
3. happiness; joy; pleasure

   樂趣／乐趣  ―  lèqù  ―  delight; pleasure

4. ^† lasciviousness; lechery; decadence
5. to laugh; to smile
6. to enjoy; to love
7. 24th tetragram of the Taixuanjing; "joy" (𝌝)
8. a surname

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (樂):

• → Japanese: 楽(らく) (raku)
• → Korean: 락(樂) (rak), 낙(樂) (nak)
• → Vietnamese: lạc (樂)

Pronunciation 3

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): lè, yào (le⁴, yao⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄌㄜˋ, ㄧㄠˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ngaau⁶
• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): ngau
• Eastern Min (BUC): ngâu
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): ngāu

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese, standard in Mainland)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: lè
    • Zhuyin: ㄌㄜˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: lè
    • Wade–Giles: lê⁴
    • Yale: lè
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: leh
    • Palladius: лэ (lɛ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɤ⁵¹/
      
  • (Standard Chinese, standard in Taiwan, literary variant in Mainland)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yào
    • Zhuyin: ㄧㄠˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yào
    • Wade–Giles: yao⁴
    • Yale: yàu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yaw
    • Palladius: яо (jao)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɑʊ̯⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: ngaau⁶
    • Yale: ngaauh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: ngaau⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: ngao⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋaːu̯²²/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: ngau
    • Hakka Romanization System: ngau
    • Hagfa Pinyim: ngau⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /ŋau̯⁵⁵/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: ngâu
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ŋɑu²⁴²/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ngāu
    • Tâi-lô: ngāu
    • Phofsit Daibuun: ngau
    • IPA (Xiamen): /ŋãu²²/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /ŋãu⁴¹/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /ŋãu²²/
    • IPA (Taipei): /ŋãu³³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /ŋãu³³/

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• Middle Chinese: ngaewH

Rime
Character	樂
Reading #	1/3
Initial (聲)	疑 (31)
Final (韻)	肴 (90)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	II
Fanqie	五敎切
Baxter	ngaewH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ŋˠauH/
Pan Wuyun	/ŋᵚauH/
Shao Rongfen	/ŋauH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ŋaɨwH/
Li Rong	/ŋauH/
Wang Li	/ŋauH/
Bernard Karlgren	/ŋauH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	yào
Expected Cantonese Reflex	ngaau6

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[ŋ]ˤrawk-s/

  (Zhengzhang): /*ŋraːwɢs/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	樂
Reading #	3/4
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	yào
Middle Chinese	‹ ngæwH ›
Old Chinese	/*[ŋ]ˁrawk-s/
English	cause to rejoice
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	樂
Reading #	1/3
No.	7670
Phonetic component	樂
Rime group	豹
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	樂
Old Chinese	/*ŋraːwɢs/

Definitions

(deprecated template usage) 樂

1. ^† to be fond of; to enjoy; to appreciate

   • 知者樂水，仁者樂山。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     知者乐水，仁者乐山。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Zhì zhě yào shuǐ, rén zhě yào shān. [Pinyin]

     The wise find pleasure in water; the virtuous find pleasure in hills.

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (樂):

• → Japanese: 楽(ぎょう) (gyō); 楽(ごう) (gō)
• → Korean: 요(樂) (yo)

Pronunciation 4

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): lào, lè (lao⁴, le⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄌㄠˋ, ㄌㄜˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): lok³

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: lào
    • Zhuyin: ㄌㄠˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: lào
    • Wade–Giles: lao⁴
    • Yale: làu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: law
    • Palladius: лао (lao)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɑʊ̯⁵¹/
      
  • (Standard Chinese, variant)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: lè
    • Zhuyin: ㄌㄜˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: lè
    • Wade–Giles: lê⁴
    • Yale: lè
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: leh
    • Palladius: лэ (lɛ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɤ⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: lok³
    • Yale: lok
    • Cantonese Pinyin: lok⁸
    • Guangdong Romanization: log³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɔːk̚³/

Definitions

(deprecated template usage) 樂

1. Used in place names.

   樂亭／乐亭  ―  Làotíng  ―  Laoting (county of Hebei)

   樂陵／乐陵  ―  Làolíng  ―  Laoling (county-level city in Shandong)

Pronunciation 5

For pronunciation and definitions of 樂 – see 療 (“to treat; to cure; to heal; therapy; treatment”). (This character is a variant form of 療).

Pronunciation 6

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): luò (luo⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄌㄨㄛˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): lok⁶

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: luò
    • Zhuyin: ㄌㄨㄛˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: luò
    • Wade–Giles: lo⁴
    • Yale: lwò
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: luoh
    • Palladius: ло (lo)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lu̯ɔ⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: lok⁶
    • Yale: lohk
    • Cantonese Pinyin: lok⁹
    • Guangdong Romanization: log⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɔːk̚²/

Definitions

(deprecated template usage) 樂

1. Used in compounds.

Compounds

(deprecated template usage)

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Japanese

Shinjitai	楽
Kyūjitai	樂

Kanji

樂

(“Jinmeiyō” kanji used for names, kyūjitai kanji, shinjitai form 楽)

1. Kyūjitai form of 楽

Readings

From Middle Chinese 樂 (MC ngaewH):

• Go-on: ぎょう (gyō)^{←げう (geu, historical)}
• Kan-on: ごう (gō)^{←がう (gau, historical)}
• Kun: このむ (konomu, 樂む)

From Middle Chinese 樂 (MC ngaewk, “music, singing”):

• Go-on: がく (gaku)
• Kan-on: がく (gaku)
• Kun: かなでる (kanaderu, 樂でる)

From Middle Chinese 樂 (MC lak, “comfort, ease”):

• Go-on: らく (raku)
• Kan-on: らく (raku)
• Kan’yō-on: ろう (rō)^{←らう (rau, historical)}
• Kun: たのしい (tanoshii, 樂しい); たのしみ (tanoshimi, 樂); たのしむ (tanoshimu, 樂しむ)
• Nanori: ささ (sasa); もと (moto); よし (yoshi)

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Korean

Hanja

樂 (eumhun 노래 악 (norae ak))

1. Hanja form^? of 악 (“music; tune; melody; song”).

Compounds

Compounds

• 음악 (音樂, eumak, “music”)
• 악본 (樂本, akbon)
• 악리 (樂理, angni)
• 악기 (樂器, akgi)
• 악단 (樂團, akdan)
• 악사 (樂士, aksa)
• 악인 (樂人, agin)
• 악작 (樂作, akjak)
• 악장 (樂匠, akjang)
• 악전 (樂典, akjeon)
• 악자 (樂子, akja)
• 악구 (樂句, akgu)
• 악극 (樂劇, akgeuk)
• 악공 (樂工, akgong)
• 악궁 (樂弓, akgung)
• 악식 (樂式, aksik)
• 악가 (樂歌, akga)
• 악곡 (樂曲, akgok)
• 악단 (樂段, akdan)
• 악랑 (樂浪, angnang)
• 악상 (樂想, aksang)
• 악생 (樂生, aksaeng)
• 악서 (樂書, akseo)
• 악수 (樂手, aksu)
• 악재 (樂才, akjae)
• 악지 (樂止, akji)
• 악파 (樂派, akpa)
• 악호 (樂戶, akho)
• 악계 (樂界, akgye)
• 악기 (樂記, akgi)
• 악음 (樂音, ageum)
• 악절 (樂節, akjeol)
• 악조 (樂調, akjo)

Etymology 2

Hanja

樂 (eumhun 즐길 락 (jeulgil rak), word-initial (South Korea) 즐길 낙 (jeulgil nak))

1. Hanja form^? of 락/낙 (“to enjoy; happiness; pleasure”).

Etymology 3

Hanja

樂 (eumhun 좋아할 요 (joahal yo))

1. Hanja form^? of 요 (“to be fond of; like”).

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Vietnamese

Han character

(deprecated template usage) 樂 (lạc, nhạc)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.