Meaning of 学而时习之，不亦悦乎？

 As what we have mentioned in our last post, today we try to understand the meaning of the first sentence of the most important classic of Confucianism： 《论语》: 学而时习之，不亦悦乎？ To start, we will review the meaning of each Chinese character of it.

学 | 學: https://xiongzou.blogspot.com/2019/07/blog-post_22.html 
It is a drawing of the teacher shows the principle and knowledge of outside world to a kid sitting inside a house.

而: https://xiongzou.blogspot.com/2019/08/blog-post.html
It is a drawing of a lot of long beard, which represents the relationship of equality or similarity of things it connects.

时 | 時: https://xiongzou.blogspot.com/2016/10/learn-one-chinese-character-day.html
It represents the meaning of movements of Sun.

习 | 習: https://xiongzou.blogspot.com/2017/05/learn-one-chinese-character-day_25.html
It originally is drawing of a flying Sun, which represents the meaning of "keep doing something consistently as a routine".

之: https://xiongzou.blogspot.com/2016/08/learn-one-chinese-character-day.html
It originally means the place where the foot stands, then involves to be used as pronoun.

不: https://xiongzou.blogspot.com/2019/09/blog-post_22.html
It means not.

亦: https://xiongzou.blogspot.com/2019/10/blog-post_28.html
It means same, as well or too.

悦 | 悅: https://xiongzou.blogspot.com/2020/03/blog-post_28.html

It means happy, but more to it: Feeling happy because of fulfilling or achieving (something).

乎: https://xiongzou.blogspot.com/2020/07/blog-post.html

It means shout loudly, or it can be understood as modal particle.

Before you check out our answer below, please take the last chance to try to reason the meaning of the sentence "学而时习之，不亦悦乎？" yourself.

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And here we go the answer, which is probably different than what you can get from other sources, but we think it is a better translation:

Modern Chinese first: "如果我们能够学习世界运转的知识和规律，并和太阳每天的运行一样，持之以恒的运用学习到的知识来更好的了解这个世界，这种自我成就的感觉难道不也会让我们非常开心吗？"

English next: "If we can learn the principle and knowledge of the universe, and consistently practice what we have learnt, as routinely as how Sun moves every day in the sky, to reach a better understanding of the universe, does not this self-fulfillment and self-improvement make us very happy?"

If you have a different mother tongue, you are welcome to provide translation for your own mother tongue. And of course if you have different translation for modern Chinese or English, you are welcome to provide your version as well.

That is all for today, let us enjoy again another Chinese calligraphy of "学而时习之，不亦悦乎"

学而时习之，不亦悦乎

乎

Our character 乎 today looks related to 于, which we have just learnt, with extra two indicators added. However looking at 乎, we cannot still guess its meaning yet. We will examine its evolution history to gain more ideas if any.

evolution history of 乎

From its Oracle script ,  relating to its current meaning, it is believed that it is a drawing of  coming out of , where  represents air flow or sound, and  represents a music instrument - horn.  Such usage of  can be approved by another Chinese character 号, which we will get into in near future. Below is image of a typical horn used by Chinese:

号角

When it came to Bronze script era -we can see that it is kind of changed to a drawing of  (the airflow or sound) made inside . here should be referring to 于, instead of a horn.

Why then did Chinese ancestors changed the music instrument in 乎 from a horn to a 竽? The meaning of 乎 can probably help to explain. 乎 was used during Oracle Script era to mean originally "making a very load sound", which was eventually represented by a new character 呼. While 乎 itself is then used as modal particle at the middle or end of a sentence and also it is used to represents a much more gentle sound.

That is all for 乎, it is time to enjoy a Chinese calligraphy with 乎 inside:

顺乎天而应乎人

Now we have learnt all the Chinese characters of the first sentence of 《论语》: 学而时习之，不亦悦乎. Do you understand it now and then is able to translate it into English properly?