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Kotomora

樂

music, comfort

StatusJinmeiyō (variant)Strokes15

Readings

On'yomi

  • ガク
  • ラク
  • ゴウ

Kun'yomi

  • たの.しい
  • たの.しむ
  • この.む

Meaning

樂 centers on harmony and ease: music as structured sound that brings comfort, and the resulting feeling of relaxed enjoyment.

Study

Etymology

樂 is a pictograph of a stringed instrument with a wooden body and silk strings, later extended to the comfort music brings. The modern form preserves the wooden base 木 and the stringed top elements.

Meaning mnemonic

Picture a wooden instrument 木 with strings and a drum-like top: the whole shape 樂 represents music, which brings comfort and ease.

Reading mnemonic

For ガク, imagine a gaku (a traditional Japanese musical instrument) playing soothing music: gaku -> ガク, and the sound fills the room with comfort.