喜
rejoice, take pleasure in
Readings
On'yomi
- キ
Kun'yomi
- よろこ.ぶ
- よろこ.ばす
Nanori
- あき
- きゅ
- のぶ
- ゆき
- よし
Meaning
喜 centers on a feeling of joy and delight: rejoicing, being glad, or taking pleasure in something.
Most common words using 喜
20 of 61- 喜ぶよろこぶN4
to be delighted; to be glad; to be pleased; to rejoice
- 喜びよろこびN3
joy; delight; rapture; pleasure; gratification; rejoicing; congratulations; felicitations
- 歓喜かんき
delight; great joy
- 大喜びおおよろこびN1
great joy; delight; jubilation
- 喜劇きげきN1
comedy
- 喜ばしいよろこばしいN1
joyful (news, event, etc.); joyous; delightful (e.g. result); pleasing (e.g. sight); gratifying; welcome; good; happy; glad; pleased
- 一喜一憂いっきいちゆう
alternating between happiness and anxiety; swinging between joy and sorrow; being glad and sad by turns; oscillating between optimism and pessimism
- 喜怒哀楽きどあいらくN1
human emotions (joy, anger, grief and pleasure); feelings
- 狂喜きょうき
wild joy; ecstasy
- 喜ばすよろこばすN1
to delight; to please; to make (someone) happy; to give pleasure (to)
- 延喜えんぎ
Engi era (901.7.15-923.4.11)
- 悲喜ひき
joys and sorrows
- 喜寿きじゅ
77th birthday
- 喜捨きしゃ
almsgiving
- 喜知次きちじ
broadbanded thornyhead (Sebastolobus macrochir); broadfin thornyhead; kichiji rockfish
- 喜悦きえつ
joy
- 喜んでよろこんで
with pleasure; gladly; willingly; certainly
- 喜望峰きぼうほう
Cape of Good Hope
- 悲喜劇ひきげき
tragicomedy
- お喜びおよろこび
happy event; cause for celebration; congratulations
Study
Etymology
喜 combines 壴 (a drum) and 口 (mouth), suggesting the joy expressed through music and singing. The modern form preserves this drum-and-mouth structure.
Meaning mnemonic
The top 壴 looks like a drum on a stand, and the bottom 口 is a mouth. Picture a festival where people beat drums and sing with open mouths, rejoicing together.
Reading mnemonic
For キ, imagine a key that unlocks happiness: key -> キ, and turning it fills the room with joy.