諺語 · a single proverb
不亦樂乎
Simplified: 不亦乐乎
What does 不亦樂乎 (bù yì lè hū) mean?
不亦樂乎 (bù yì lè hū) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "is it not a joy." In use it means: The quiet pleasure of doing something you love. Confucius asked this about learning, and the answer was yes. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Wood note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Monkey.
Literally: "is it not a joy."
The reading
The question is rhetorical. Of course it is a joy. Learning something and then having a friend arrive to discuss it. The pleasure is not in the knowledge. It is in the sharing. The moment when what you have studied meets someone who cares about the same thing.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Analects 論語, Book 1 (學而, ch. 1)
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Wisdom & Learning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Monkey, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 不亦樂乎 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 不亦樂乎 (bù yì lè hū) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Analects 論語, Book 1 (學而, ch. 1). It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 不亦樂乎?
In Mandarin it is bù yì lè hū. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 不亦樂乎 aloud in Mandarin.