乐观 (lèguān)

乐观 describes a positive, hopeful attitude toward life or a situation — the Chinese equivalent of "optimistic."

Meanings

[adjective] optimistic, hopeful, positive (in outlook)

Example Sentences

他总是很乐观，即使遇到困难也不放弃。 Tā zǒngshì hěn lèguān, jíshǐ yùdào kùnnan yě bù fàngqì. He is always very optimistic; even when he faces difficulties, he does not give up.

我们应该对未来保持乐观的态度。 Wǒmen yīnggāi duì wèilái bǎochí lèguān de tàidu. We should maintain an optimistic attitude toward the future.

乐观的人往往比悲观的人更健康。 Lèguān de rén wǎngwǎng bǐ bēiguān de rén gèng jiànkāng. Optimistic people are often healthier than pessimistic people.

尽管情况不好，她依然保持乐观。 Jǐnguǎn qíngkuàng bù hǎo, tā yīrán bǎochí lèguān. Despite the bad situation, she remained optimistic.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
保持乐观	maintain an optimistic attitude
乐观的态度	optimistic attitude
乐观主义	optimism
过于乐观	overly optimistic

Usage Notes

乐观 is the antonym of 悲观 (pessimistic). It can function as a predicate adjective (他很乐观) or as an attributive modifier before a noun (乐观的态度). It can also be used as a noun in compounds like 乐观主义 (optimism).

Memory Hook

乐 means "joy/happiness" and 观 means "view/perspective." So 乐观 literally means "to view things with joy" — an optimistic outlook.