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悅 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
悅yuècontented, gratified, pleasedzg, 10 strokes, radical 忄
yuè(yue4) T4
  1. 1contented, gratified, pleased
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

悅yuè(yue4)

The character 悅 (yuè) means to feel contented, gratified, or pleased. It is commonly used to express a positive emotional state or satisfaction with a situation. This character is often found in contexts relating to happiness or joy, such as in phrases that celebrate good news or favorable outcomes.

Strokes10Radical忄
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, expressing contentment or joy is often tied to social harmony and familial relationships, where being pleased can reflect the well-being of the family unit. The character is sometimes seen in traditional poetry and literature, emphasizing the value of inner peace and happiness.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person who is so pleased with a beautiful sunset that they leap with joy (悦 sounds like 'yue,' which can remind you of 'yay' in English). The radical 忄 (heart) suggests emotions, reinforcing that this character is about feeling good.

Meanings of 悅

yuè(yue4)
1contented, gratified, pleased
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 悅

悅Simplified
10Strokes
忄Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 悅

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Podcast: 悅

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 悅

Quick Contrast

愉 (yú) — use 悅 (yuè) for a deeper sense of contentment, while 愉 (yú) conveys a lighter, more casual pleasure.

Usage Notes

Be careful with the tone; 悅 is pronounced with a falling tone (4th tone). It's more formal than similar words like 高兴 (gāo xìng) or 开心 (kāi xīn), which are often used in casual conversation. Common collocations include 悅耳 (yuè ěr), meaning 'pleasant to hear.'

HSK Study Tips

Though not part of the HSK vocabulary list, 悅 shares themes with other HSK words related to emotions and feelings. Focus on its emotional connotation and how it might appear in literary or formal contexts, helping to broaden your expressive range.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 悅 with similar-sounding words like 月 (yuè, meaning 'moon') due to the tonal difference. Ensure you pronounce it correctly with the falling tone to avoid confusion.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 悅

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Etymology of 悅

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 忄 represents the meaning and 兑 represents the sound. Simplified form of 悅.

Memory Hint

heart

Semantic (meaning)忄
+
Phonetic (sound)兌
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 悅

Phonosemantic compound. 忄 represents the meaning and 兑 represents the sound. Simplified form of 悅.

  1. 1The meaning half忄 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half兌 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayheart
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 悅? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 悅?

Decomposition of 悅

IDS Structure⿰忄兌
悅Full Character
=
忄xin1
left
兌dui4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 悅?

How to say contented, gratified, pleased in Chinese

“contented, gratified, pleased” in Chinese is悅yuè

The character 悅 (yuè) means to feel contented, gratified, or pleased. It is commonly used to express a positive emotional state or satisfaction with a situation. This character is often found in contexts relating to happiness or joy, such as in phrases that celebrate good news or favorable outcomes.

When to use 悅

Be careful with the tone; 悅 is pronounced with a falling tone (4th tone). It's more formal than similar words like 高兴 (gāo xìng) or 开心 (kāi xīn), which are often used in casual conversation. Common collocations include 悅耳 (yuè ěr), meaning 'pleasant to hear.'

悅 or something close to it

愉 (yú) — use 悅 (yuè) for a deeper sense of contentment, while 愉 (yú) conveys a lighter, more casual pleasure.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 悅 with similar-sounding words like 月 (yuè, meaning 'moon') due to the tonal difference. Ensure you pronounce it correctly with the falling tone to avoid confusion.

Write 悅

悅

Practice writing 悅 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 悅

Words Containing This Character15
喜悦xǐyuèhappy喜悅
愉悦joyful愉悅
取悦to try to please取悅
悦yuèpleased悅
赏心悦目pleasing賞心悅目
悦耳yuè’ěrsweet-sounding悅耳
不悦displeased不悅
孙悦Sun Yue (1973-), PRC female pop star孫悅
心悦诚服to submit cheerfully心悅誠服
和颜悦色amiable manner和顏悅色
欢悦joy歡悅
和悦affable和悅
柏悦Park Hyatt (hotel brand)柏悅
怡悦pleasant怡悅
爽心悦目beautiful and heartwarming爽心悅目
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 喜悦 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 悅

You can say '我很悅' (Wǒ hěn yuè) to mean 'I am very pleased'.

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