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喜怒哀乐 (xǐ nù āi lè) — the four basic emotions (happiness, anger, sorrow, joy); the full range of human feelings; joys and sorrows

Definition

A set phrase for the four basic human emotions (happiness, anger, sorrow, joy), used to mean 'the full range of feelings'. Unlike 悲欢离合, which is about life's ups-and-downs and partings, 喜怒哀乐 focuses purely on emotions.

phrase
the four basic emotions (happiness, anger, sorrow, joy)the full range of human feelingsjoys and sorrows

Examples

  • 喜怒哀乐。
    Rén shēng zhōng de xǐ nù āi lè dōu shì bǎo guì de jīng lì.
    All the joys and sorrows in life are valuable experiences.
  • 喜怒哀乐。
    Zhè bù diàn yǐng biǎo xiàn le pǔ tōng rén de xǐ nù āi lè.
    This movie portrays the emotions of ordinary people.
  • 喜怒哀乐。
    Tā xiě shī lái biǎo dá zì jǐ de xǐ nù āi lè.
    He writes poems to express his feelings.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

喜怒joy and anger
喜xǐjoy怒nùanger
联合Coordinate
哀乐sorrow and joy
哀āisorrow乐lèjoy
联合Coordinate

The pairs 喜怒 and 哀乐 list joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness together.

Characters in this word

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

喜 combines 壴, a drum, with 口, a mouth.

Open 喜 →

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
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
奴
奴nú怒nù
Same sound today

怒 pairs 心 (heart) with 奴, which is used for its sound rather than its meaning of slave.

Open 怒 →

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
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
衣
衣yī哀āi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

哀 combines 口 (mouth) with 衣 (yī), which gives it its sound.

Open 哀 →

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 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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