(yuè) — happy, delighted (bound form, used in compounds like 喜悦, 愉悦); to please, delight (bound form, as in 悦耳, 悦目)

Definition

悦 (yuè) is a bound (literary) form meaning 'delighted' or 'pleasing' — it almost never stands alone, surfacing in set compounds like 喜悦, 愉悦, 悦耳, 悦目.

bound form
happydelighted (bound form, used in compounds like 喜悦, 愉悦)to pleasedelight (bound form, as in 悦耳, 悦目)

Examples

  • Tā xīn zhōng chōng mǎn le xǐ yuè.
    His heart was filled with joy.
  • Zhè shǒu yīn yuè tīng qǐ lái fēi cháng yú yuè.
    This piece of music sounds very delightful.
  • Bǎi niǎo de gē shēng shí fēn yuè ěr.
    The songs of a hundred birds were very pleasing to the ear.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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
Written in full asxīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
duìyuè
Same sound today

The heart part 忄 shows the feeling of delight; 兌 gives the sound.

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