Meaning
喜 means joy, delight, happiness, and rejoicing — the kind that wells up at big news, a reunion, or a hard-won milestone. It appears across everyday conversation, formal ceremonies, and classical literature alike.
The character splits into two parts. The upper component 壴 depicts a ceremonial drum set upright on a stand — an ancient symbol of festivity and communal ritual. Below it, 口 (mouth) represents speaking or singing aloud. Picture someone at a festival, mouth open, cheering to the beat of that drum. That scene is 喜.
喜 has 12 strokes and is a Grade 4 Jōyō kanji, taught in the fourth year of Japanese elementary school. Its radical is 口. In formal and literary contexts, it carries a sense of dignified, shareable happiness — more elevated than casual words for "happy," and better suited to announcements and achievements.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
The on'yomi is キ (KI), used in compound words and formal written Japanese. It appears often in four-character idioms (yojijukugo) and ceremonial language.
- 喜劇 (kigeki) — comedy; theatrical or cinematic work designed to amuse, as opposed to 悲劇 (higeki, tragedy)
- 喜悦 (kietsu) — elation; a formal, literary word for profound happiness
- 喜報 (kihō) — good news; used in formal announcements of births, promotions, or victories
- 歓喜 (kanki) — jubilation; intense, overflowing joy, common in religious or ceremonial contexts
- 喜寿 (kiju) — the 77th birthday; in cursive script, 喜 resembles the kanji for 77, giving this milestone its name
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The kun'yomi is よろこ(ぶ) (yorokobu), the everyday verb for "to rejoice" or "to be pleased." The adjective form よろこ(ばしい) (yorokobashii) describes situations or events worthy of celebration.
- 喜ぶ (yorokobu) — to rejoice, to be glad; the core verb, used constantly in daily speech
- 喜び (yorokobi) — joy, delight; the noun form, one of the most common words for positive emotion in Japanese
- 喜ばしい (yorokobashii) — joyful, welcome; describes circumstances that merit celebration
- 大喜び (ōyorokobi) — great joy, being overjoyed; used when happiness is especially strong or overwhelming
Common Words & Compounds
Emotional and Philosophical:
- 喜怒哀楽 (kidō airaku) — joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure; the classic four-character idiom covering the full spectrum of human emotion, widely used in literature and everyday speech
- 悲喜 (hiki) — joy and sorrow mixed; used for bittersweet moments when both emotions coexist, such as a farewell that is also a celebration
- 喜色 (kishoku) — a joyful look; used to describe someone whose face clearly radiates delight
- 喜悦 (kietsu) — deep joy, elation; more formal and literary than ordinary happiness
Celebratory and Formal:
- 喜寿 (kiju) — the 77th birthday; a traditional Japanese milestone celebration rooted in the visual resemblance of cursive 喜 to the kanji for seventy-seven
- 喜捨 (kisha) — charitable giving; the act of donating willingly, without expectation of return
- 喜報 (kihō) — joyful tidings; a formal expression used in official announcements
Arts and Culture:
- 喜劇 (kigeki) — comedy; theater or film built to entertain and delight an audience
- 歓喜 (kanki) — jubilation, rapture; intense communal joy — think a packed stadium after a championship win, or a religious procession in full voice
Everyday Expressions:
- 喜び (yorokobi) — joy, happiness; a staple noun in both spoken and written Japanese
- お喜び (oyorokobi) — the polite honorific form; used when congratulating someone or expressing shared happiness in formal settings
- 喜んで (yorokonde) — with pleasure, gladly; the natural response when enthusiastically accepting a request or invitation
Example Sentences
彼女は合格の知らせを聞いて、大いに喜んだ。
Kanojo wa gōkaku no shirase wo kiite, ōi ni yorokonda.
She was overjoyed when she heard she had passed the exam.
子供たちの喜びは親の喜びでもある。
Kodomotachi no yorokobi wa oya no yorokobi demo aru.
The joy of children is also the joy of their parents.
喜劇を見て、お腹が痛くなるほど笑った。
Kigeki wo mite, onaka ga itaku naru hodo waratta.
I watched the comedy and laughed so hard my stomach hurt.
喜報が届き、社内は歓喜に包まれた。
Kihō ga todoki, shanai wa kanki ni tsutsumareta.
When the good news arrived, the whole office erupted in celebration.
祖父の喜寿を家族みんなでお祝いした。
Sofu no kiju wo kazoku minna de oiwai shita.
The whole family gathered to celebrate my grandfather's 77th birthday.
人生は喜怒哀楽に満ちている。
Jinsei wa kidō airaku ni michite iru.
Life is filled with the full range of emotions — joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure.
プレゼントをもらって、彼は喜ばしそうな顔をした。
Purezento wo moratte, kare wa yorokobashisō na kao wo shita.
He looked genuinely delighted after receiving the present.
悲喜こもごもの思いで卒業式に臨んだ。
Hiki komogomo no omoi de sotsugyōshiki ni nozonda.
I attended the graduation ceremony with a tangle of joy and sadness in my heart.
彼女の喜びの涙を見て、私も胸が熱くなった。
Kanojo no yorokobi no namida wo mite, watashi mo mune ga atsuku natta.
Seeing her tears of joy, my own chest tightened with emotion.
手伝えることがあれば、喜んで参加します。
Tetsudaeru koto ga areba, yorokonde sanka shimasu.
If there is anything I can help with, I will gladly join in.
Memory Tip
Split 喜 into its two parts: a ceremonial drum (壴) on top and an open mouth (口) below. Someone is beating that drum at a festival. The crowd cheers, laughs, sings. That moment — noisy, collective, bursting with feeling — is exactly what 喜 means.
For Vietnamese learners, anchor it with the Hán-Việt reading HỶ, as in hỷ sự (a joyful occasion) or the four-emotion phrase hỷ nộ ai lạc. The meaning locks in fast across both languages.