楽 — how to write the kanji for “music”
楽 means “music”, “comfort” and “ease”; it is a JLPT N4 kanji, taught in second grade in Japan. In newspapers it is the 373rd most used kanji. KANJIDIC2 gives it 3 on readings and 3 kun readings, so the word decides how you say it. Its parts: 白 (“white”), strokes 1–5; 冫 (“ice”), strokes 6–7; 木 (“tree”, its radical), strokes 10–13, each finished before the next. On its own it is the word raku, “comfort; ease”. Read gaku, it forms 音楽 (“music”), 楽器 (“musical instrument”) and 能楽 (“noh play”); the native reading tano-shii gives 楽しみ (“enjoyment”).
- Strokes
- 13
- JLPT
- N4
- Radical
- 木 (“tree”)
- On
- ガク, ラク, ゴウ
- Kun
- たの·しむ, たの·しい, この·む
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- Dot ㇔topdown and left
- Vertical ㇑topdownwards
- Horizontal-turn ㇕toprightwards → downwards
- Horizontal ㇐toprightwards
- Horizontal ㇐centerrightwards
- Dot ㇔top leftdown and right
- Rising stroke ㇀leftrightwards → up and right
- Left-falling stroke ㇒top rightdown and left
- Dot ㇔rightdown and right
- Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
- Vertical ㇑centerdownwards
- Left-falling stroke ㇒centerdown and left
- Right-falling stroke ㇏centerdown and right
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Readings
- On (Chinese-derived)
- ガク gaku, ラク raku, ゴウ gou (rare)
- Kun (native)
- たの·しむ tano-shimu, たの·しい tano-shii (rare), この·む kono-mu (rare)
- Meanings
- music; comfort; ease
- Read gaku
- 音楽 楽器 能楽 声楽
- Read raku
- 娯楽 楽観 楽観的 気楽
- Read tano-shii
- 楽しみ
- School year
- second grade
- Newspaper rank
- 373rd of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
- Korean hanja
- 악 ak
- Common words
- 47 in JMdict
Words with 楽
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 音楽 | おんがく ongaku | music |
| 楽しみ | たのしみ tanoshimi | enjoyment; pleasure |
| 楽器 | がっき gakki | musical instrument |
| 娯楽 | ごらく goraku | amusement; entertainment |
| 能楽 | のうがく nougaku | noh play |
| 倶楽部 | クラブ kurabu | club; fraternity |
| 楽観 | らっかん rakkan | optimism; taking an optimistic view |
| 声楽 | せいがく seigaku | vocal music |
| 楽観的 | らっかんてき rakkanteki | optimistic; hopeful |
| 気楽 | きらく kiraku | carefree; comfortable |
Most common first (JMdict).
Practice sheet
Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.
Keep going
Same parts:
JLPT N4, in list order: