民亦乐其乐

民亦樂其樂
mín yì lè qí lè
quotation

Meanings

  1. 1 the people also delight in the ruler's delights
  2. 2 when a ruler shares joy with his people, they share joy with him
  3. 3 lit. the people also delight-in his delights

Examples

HSK 6
Lǐngdǎo yǔ mín tóng lè, cáinéng mínyìlèqílè.
Only when leaders share joy with the people will the people share joy with them.
HSK 7-9
Lèmínzhīlèzhě, mínyìlèqílè, zhè shì Mèngzǐ duì zhízhèngzhě de quàn jiè.
"He who delights in the people's delights - the people in turn delight in his" - Mencius's admonition to rulers.

Tips

history
From 《孟子·梁惠王下》 (Mencius 1B.4): 乐民之乐者民亦乐其乐忧民之忧者民亦忧其忧 - 'He who delights in the people's delights, the people in turn delight in his; he who worries over the people's worries, the people in turn worry over his.' A core Mencian statement of the reciprocal moral contract between ruler and ruled.
usage
The reading is ambiguous in isolation - here the first is verb 'to delight in' (lè), the second is noun 'delights' (lè). Both are lè in this passage (not yuè = music).

Stroke Order

mín