自得其乐 (zì dé qí lè) — to find joy in one's own situation; to be conte…

Definition

A chengyu for finding genuine contentment in one's own pursuits or simple life, without needing external rewards or recognition.

idiom

to find joy in one's own situationto be content with what one has

，，自得其乐，。
Tā yí gè rén zhù zài shān lǐ, měi tiān zhòng huā dú shū, zì dé qí lè, guò dé fēi cháng zì zài.
He lives alone in the mountains, planting flowers and reading books every day, finding joy in his own situation and living very comfortably.
，，自得其乐，。
Tuì xiū hòu, lǎo wáng bú zài zhuī qiú míng lì, ér shì zì dé qí lè, xiǎng shòu píng dàn de shēng huó.
After retirement, Old Wang no longer pursues fame and fortune, but instead finds joy in his own situation and enjoys a simple life.
，自得其乐，。
Suī rán gōng zuò xīn kǔ, dàn tā zǒng néng zì dé qí lè, cóng píng fán zhōng zhǎo dào kuài lè.
Although his work is hard, he can always find joy in his own situation and discover happiness in the ordinary.

Characters in this word

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

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

自 originally drew a nose. It was borrowed purely for its sound to write 自, so the picture and the meaning are unrelated.

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

The old form 㝵 showed a hand picking up a cowry, meaning to obtain; later changes turned that picture into 得.

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.

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.

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