‘乐观’ (lè guān) is an adjective meaning 'optimistic' — describing a person who tends to expect positive outcomes, maintain hope in difficult situations, and focus on solutions rather than problems. The character 乐 (lè) means 'joy' or 'pleasure', while 观 (guān) means 'to view' or 'perspective'. Together, they literally suggest 'a joyful perspective' or 'viewing things with joy'. This word reflects an enduring mindset, not just a fleeting mood.

It’s commonly used to describe personality traits, attitudes toward challenges (e.g., illness, setbacks, or uncertainty), and interpersonal impressions ('He’s very 乐观'). Unlike the verb 观 (guān) in other compounds, here it functions as part of a fixed two-character adjective — it cannot be separated or modified by degree adverbs like 很 without context (e.g., 很乐观 is acceptable, but *很观 is impossible). It frequently appears in both spoken and written Chinese, especially in self-descriptions, psychological discussions, and news reports about resilience.