愉

yú

俞 + 忄

Definitions

yú (adjective) pleased; happy; delighted

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 忄 represents the meaning and 俞 represents the sound.

Semantic: 忄 Phonetic: 俞

About

愉 is a phono-semantic compound combining the heart radical 忄 on the left, which marks the character as relating to emotions and inner states, with the phonetic component 俞 on the right, which supplies its pronunciation. (Originally, 俞 depicted a hollowed‑out boat, but here it functions purely as a sound indicator.) The core meaning is joy, cheerfulness, or pleasure, a deep and settled contentment rather than superficial happiness, and the character regularly appears in compounds for delightful experiences, pleasant moods, and harmonious dispositions.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Early Spring and Autumn (~700 BC)

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

今天我很愉快。

Jīntiān wǒ hěn yúkuài.

I am very happy today.

和朋友聊天很愉快。

Hé péngyou liáotiān hěn yúkuài.

Chatting with friends is very pleasant.

旅行带来了愉悦的心情。

Lǚxíng dàiláile yúyuè de xīnqíng.

The trip brought a joyful mood.

音乐会令人身心愉悦。

Yīnyuèhuì lìng rén shēnxīn yúyuè.

The concert is physically and mentally delightful.

孩子们在公园里愉快地玩耍。

Háizimen zài gōngyuán li yúkuài de wánshuǎ.

The children are playing happily in the park.

阅读这本小说是一次愉悦的体验。

Yuèdú zhè běn xiǎoshuō shì yī cì yúyuè de tǐyàn.

Reading this novel is a pleasurable experience.

他愉快地接受了这个挑战。

Tā yúkuài de jiēshòule zhège tiǎozhàn.

He gladly accepted this challenge.

在轻松愉悦的氛围中，会议取得了成功。

Zài qīngsōng yúyuè de fēnwéi zhōng, huìyì qǔdéle chénggōng.

The meeting was successful in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.

Related Characters

Component: 俞

Component: 忄

愉