The kanji 朗 generally conveys the meaning of "clear," "bright," "cheerful," or "bright and clear." It often describes a pleasant, open, and positive state, referring to both physical brightness and a cheerful disposition.

・On-yomi (音読み): ・ロウ (rō) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): ・ほが-らか (hoga-raka)

⚫︎ 朗読 Translation: Reading aloud (often with expression) ⚫︎ 朗報 Translation: Good news; Glad tidings ⚫︎ 朗らかな笑顔 Translation: A cheerful smile; A bright smile

The kanji 朗 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字, keisei moji). The left side is 月 (tsuki) meaning "moon" or "month", suggesting light. The right side is 良 (ryō), which is the phonetic component, indicating the sound and contributing the sense of "good" or "fine." Together, they combine to create the meaning of "bright" or "clear" like the moon. The original meaning relates to the brightness of the moon and then expanded to the concept of brightness, clarity, and a cheerful state.