Chinese word

不亦乐乎

Pronunciation

Pinyinbù yì lè hū

Meaning

  • adverbbe extremely happy

Example

收到礼物后，他高兴得不亦乐乎。shōu dào lǐ wù hòu tā gāo xìng de bú yì lè hū

After receiving the gift, he was extremely happy.

Illustration for 不亦乐乎 (be extremely happy)

More examples

孩子们放学后去游乐场，个个玩得不亦乐乎。hái zi men fàng xué hòu qù yóu lè chǎng gè gè wán de bú yì lè hū

After school, the children went to the amusement park, and every one of them had a great time.

Core concept

Joy spills out so strongly that the feeling becomes impossible to hide.

Common phrases

  • 笑得不亦乐乎xiào de bú yì lè hū

    laugh uproariously

  • 玩得不亦乐乎wán de bú yì lè hū

    have a great time

  • 唱得不亦乐乎chàng de bú yì lè hū

    sing with great enthusiasm

Similar words

喜不自禁xǐ bú zì jīn: Being unable to hold back delight, so that joy comes out naturally.
欣喜若狂xīn xǐ ruò kuáng: Being so wildly delighted that normal self-control seems to disappear.
乐不可支lè bù kě zhī: Being so full of joy that composure cannot be maintained, in an old-fashioned style.

Definition in Chinese

表示极度高兴，情绪外露且语气夸张，常作状语或补语使用以强调喜悦的强度。biǎo shì jí dù gāo xìng qíng xù wài lù qiě yǔ qì kuā zhāng cháng zuò zhuàng yǔ huò bú yǔ shǐ yòng yǐ qiáng diào xǐ yuè de qiáng dù

Word origin

不亦乐乎 (bùyìlèhū, "be extremely happy") comes from the Analects, where it is a rhetorical question about the joy of welcoming a friend from far away, and later becomes an emphatic idiom.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Chinese, it often sounds playful or literary, so it fits a happy story or friendly joke better than a neutral report.

Other meanings

  • be ecstaticadverb
  • have a great timeadverb

Word lists with this word