快乐
happy; joyful
HSK level
- Pinyin
- kuàilè
- Part of speech
- adjective
- Level
- HSK 2
- Strokes
- 12
- Register
- neutral
Stroke order for 快乐
快乐 is written with 12 strokes (快: 7, 乐: 5). The animation replays automatically.
What does 快乐 mean?
快乐 (kuàilè) means 'happy' or 'joyful' — a steadier, more enduring kind of happiness than English 'happy.'
It is the go-to word for written greetings and life-event blessings: 生日快乐 ('happy birthday'), 新年快乐 ('happy new year'), 节日快乐 ('happy holidays'). When describing your own state, native speakers more often use 高兴 (gāoxìng, 'pleased / glad') for momentary happiness about something specific (我很高兴见到你 'I'm glad to meet you'), and 快乐 for a general, persistent cheerfulness (童年很快乐 'childhood was happy'). 快乐 also appears in song titles and idiomatic compounds: 快快乐乐 ('happily,' reduplicated for emphasis), 快乐时光 ('happy times').
The character 快 ('quick' + heart radical 忄) suggests a heart that moves freely; 乐 ('music / joy') doubles down on the feeling. Note 乐 has a second reading yuè meaning 'music' — same character, different word.
Note: Most common in well-wishes and to describe a generally cheerful state. For everyday 'I'm happy about this,' Chinese speakers often prefer 高兴 (gāoxìng).
Character by character
Memory hook: 快 (a heart moving freely) + 乐 (joy / music) — a 'free-moving heart full of music.' Saying 生日快乐 wishes someone exactly that.
Example sentences
祝你生日快乐！
Zhù nǐ shēngrì kuàilè!
Happy birthday to you!
spoken, friendly
他的童年很快乐。
Tā de tóngnián hěn kuàilè.
His childhood was very happy.
neutral
新年快乐！
Xīnnián kuàilè!
Happy New Year!
spoken, festive
我希望你天天快乐。
Wǒ xīwàng nǐ tiāntiān kuàilè.
I hope you're happy every day.
neutral
Common phrases with 快乐
Synonyms
高兴 is momentary 'glad / pleased about X.' 我很高兴 = 'I'm pleased (about something just now).' 快乐 is a longer, steadier happiness. Use 高兴 to react in the moment; 快乐 to describe a state of life.
开心 is 'happy / cheerful' — colloquial and breezy, common in casual speech. 我今天很开心 ('I'm so happy today'). 快乐 is a touch more written/formal; 开心 is what you'd text a friend.
幸福 is 'blissful / blessed,' a deeper life-satisfaction kind of happy. 婚姻幸福 ('happily married'). 快乐 is lighter; 幸福 implies a fortunate, fulfilled life.
Don't confuse 快乐 with
FAQ
Acquire it by listening
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