What is 不亦悦乎

[buzhongren]

I recently got this in an email:

有信自远朋来, 不亦悦乎

my translation "happy to get letter from far away friend" or "get letter from far away friend, isnt it great"

My question is the use of 不亦悦乎. It is appended to other Topics on the Internet. On the Internet I see the use but I dont see the grammar. In Chinese or English grammar what would it be called Adverbial Phase etc. In other words how would I look it up in a good grammar book based on grammatical use. If so I would be interested in other 'grammar' like this that is appended to a Topic.

xiele

Jim

[chrix]

It's classical Chinese, it from the Analects. http://chinese.dsturgeon.net/text.pl?node=1082&if=en (you can see it's a play on words, substituting 朋 by 信.

Also, this phrase can be found in any decent Modern Mandarin dictionary, sometimes a better source of reference than google.

(As this is not really a grammar topic I'm moving this to quick translations)

[Don_Horhe]

不亦悦乎? = 不也快乐吗？Roughly, 亦=也, 悦=快乐, 乎=吗.

[buzhongren]

Chrix,

Thanks for the Confucus brain teaser link. At least on Google if I see 不亦悦乎 I now know the preceding is his Saying. I suspect other patterns like this from other Teachers. Im going to translate Shakespeare into Chinese to get even. http://www.chinese-forums.com/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif

Don_Horhe

Thanks for the variation of the string in question.

xiele,

Jim

[skylee]

I seem to remember in my school textbook (that I used decades ago), it was written as 不亦說乎. My teacher simply explained to us that 說 = 悅. In the past many characters are exchangeable, such as 華 = 花, etc.

PS - the more complete version is 學而時習之，不亦說乎；有朋自遠方來，不亦樂乎.

[chrix]

yes, the Analects do indeed use 說.

[Daan]

Im going to translate Shakespeare into Chinese to get even

If I were you, I would look for a translation on the internet...but good luck