乐不可支 (lè bù kě zhī) — extremely happy, overjoyed, delighted beyond me…

Definition

A vivid 成语 meaning so happy one can barely contain it — used in writing for an emphatic, almost humorous overflow of joy, stronger than just 高兴.

idiom

extremely happyoverjoyeddelighted beyond measure

，乐不可支。
Tīng dào zhè ge hǎo xiāo xi, tā lè bù kě zhī.
He was overjoyed upon hearing this good news.
，乐不可支。
Hái zi men dé dào lǐ wù shí, gè gè lè bù kě zhī.
The children were all overjoyed when they got the gifts.
，乐不可支。
Kǎo shì tōng guò hòu, tā gāo xìng dé lè bù kě zhī.
After passing the exam, she was so happy she was beside herself with joy.

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.

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

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

丂

丂kǎo可kě

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

可 pairs 口 (mouth) with 丂 as a sound part; it is tied to air from the mouth, perhaps singing.

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

又十支

支 pairs 又 (hand) with 十, a shortened form of 竹 (bamboo), to picture a bamboo branch.