其乐无穷 (qí lè wú qióng) — boundless joy; endless delight

Definition

An idiom meaning the joy or fun of doing something feels endless — a high-flown, written register, usually about a favorite pastime or activity rather than a single moment.

idiom
boundless joyendless delight

Examples

  • ，其乐无穷。
    Dú yì běn hǎo shū, zhēn ràng tā qí lè wú qióng.
    Reading a good book brings him endless joy.
  • 其乐无穷，。
    Xià qí qí lè wú qióng, hěn duō rén dōu xǐ huan.
    Playing chess is an endless delight; many people enjoy it.
  • ，其乐无穷。
    Yǔ péng you xiāng jù, qí lè wú qióng.
    Spending time with friends is boundless joy.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

其乐its joy
其qíits乐lèjoy
偏正Modifier + head
无穷without end
无wúnot have穷qióngend
动宾Verb + object

其乐 is the joy of it, and 无穷 says that joy is without end, so the delight is boundless.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The modern form 其 comes from an early drawing of a basket, with a stand added underneath.

Open 其 →

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 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 無; 无 is its simplified writing.

For the simplified 无, the story is about 無. 無 drew a person dancing with ox tails held in both hands to pray for rain, then was borrowed for 'have no', so the picture does not explain that meaning.

Open 无 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 窮; 穷 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
穴穴xuécave; nest; confinement
Sound part声符shēngfú
躬
躬gōng窮qióng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 窮, 穴 (cave; nest; confinement) gives the sense and 躬 gives the sound; this is about 窮, not the simplified 穷.

Open 穷 →

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