乐
lè · HSK 3
enjoy
😄 乐 sounds like 'le' — say 'oh là là!' when happy
乐 (lè) means happy or to enjoy. The simplified form depicts a stylized wooden instrument with strings; music and joy share the same character (also read yuè for music). Linking 'lè' to a cheerful exclamation locks in the happy sense.
乐 — stylized depiction of a wooden instrument with strings
Originally a pictograph of a wooden frame holding strings or bells, representing a musical instrument. The character first meant 'music' (read yuè), and by extension came to mean 'joy, happiness' (read lè), since music brings pleasure. The simplified form 乐 streamlines the older 樂.