不亦樂乎

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Chinese

		is it not also	music; happy; laugh music; happy; laugh; cheerful	(interrog. part.)
trad. (不亦樂乎)		不亦	樂	乎
simp. (不亦乐乎)		不亦	乐	乎
Literally: “is it not a joy?”.

Etymology

From the Analects (《論語·學而》):

有朋自遠方來，不亦樂乎？ [Classical Chinese, trad.]

有朋自远方来，不亦乐乎？ [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Yǒu péng zì yuǎnfāng lái, bù yì lè hū?

Is it not delightful to have friends coming from distant quarters?

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): bùyìlèhū

(Zhuyin): ㄅㄨˋ ㄧˋ ㄌㄜˋ ㄏㄨ
Cantonese
(Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): bat¹ jik⁶ lok⁶ fu⁴

(Taishan, Wiktionary): but² yiak⁵ lok⁵ fu³
Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): put-e̍k-lo̍k-hô͘ / put-e̍k-lo̍k-hò͘

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: bùyìlèhū
  - Zhuyin: ㄅㄨˋ ㄧˋ ㄌㄜˋ ㄏㄨ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: bùyìlèhu
  - Wade–Giles: pu⁴-i⁴-lê⁴-hu¹
  - Yale: bù-yì-lè-hū
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: buyihlehhu
  - Palladius: буилэху (builɛxu)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ i⁵¹⁻⁵³ lɤ⁵¹ xu⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: bat¹ jik⁶ lok⁶ fu⁴
  - Yale: bāt yihk lohk fùh
  - Cantonese Pinyin: bat⁷ jik⁹ lok⁹ fu⁴
  - Guangdong Romanization: bed¹ yig⁶ log⁶ fu⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /pɐt̚⁵ jɪk̚² lɔːk̚² fuː²¹/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: but² yiak⁵ lok⁵ fu³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /put̚⁵⁵ jiak̚³² lɔk̚³² fu²²/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: put-e̍k-lo̍k-hô͘
  - Tâi-lô: put-i̍k-lo̍k-hôo
  - Phofsit Daibuun: put'egloghoo
  - IPA (Xiamen): /put̚³²⁻⁴ iɪk̚⁴⁻³² lɔk̚⁴⁻³² hɔ²⁴/
- (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: put-e̍k-lo̍k-hò͘
  - Tâi-lô: put-i̍k-lo̍k-hòo
  - Phofsit Daibuun: put'egloghox
  - IPA (Taipei): /put̚³²⁻⁴ iɪk̚⁴⁻³² lɔk̚⁴⁻³² hɔ¹¹/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /put̚³²⁻⁴ iɪk̚⁴⁻³² lɔk̚⁴⁻³² hɔ²¹/

Idiom

不亦樂乎

(original meaning) Isn't it a pleasure (to ...)?
(modifies an adjective or verb) to a great extent; extremely; very; awfully
玩得不亦樂乎 [MSC, trad.]
玩得不亦乐乎 [MSC, simp.]
wánr dé bùyìlèhū
to have lots of fun when playing

忙得不亦樂乎／忙得不亦乐乎 ― máng dé bùyìlèhū ― to be awfully busy

Wikious

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