乐天 (lè tiān) — optimistic and carefree; happy-go-lucky

Definition

Literary / written adjective for an 'optimistic, carefree' temperament, as in 乐天派 ('optimist'). In everyday speech, people usually say 乐观 or 开朗 instead.

adjective
optimistic and carefreehappy-go-lucky

Examples

  • 乐天，。
    Tā xìng gé lè tiān, cóng lái bù wéi xiǎo shì fán nǎo.
    He has a happy-go-lucky personality and never worries about small things.
  • 乐天。
    lè tiān De rén gèng róng yì jiāo dào péng you.
    Optimistic people make friends more easily.
  • ，。
    Tā shì gè lè tiān pài, měi tiān dōu kāi kāi xīn xīn de.
    She is an optimist and is happy every day.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

乐lètake joy in
天tiānheaven

乐 (taking joy in) and 天 (heaven or fate) suggest being cheerful about one's lot.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 樂; 乐 is its simplified writing.

In the traditional form 樂, 絲 (string) with 木 (wood) shows strings on a piece of wood, a musical instrument; the simplified 乐 is a later shorthand.

Open 乐 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
大大dà
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng天tiān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape comes from a frontal standing man 大 with a head; 天 pairs 大 with 丁 for sound.

Open 天 →

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