noun / verb HSK 2
song · to sing
Meaning
歌 is one of the most common words for 'song' in Mandarin. As a noun, it refers to any kind of song or piece of vocal music. As a verb, it means 'to sing,' though 唱歌 (chàng gē) is more commonly used for the action of singing.
Usage
Native speakers frequently use 歌 in compounds like 唱歌 (to sing), 歌手 (singer), and 歌曲 (song/musical piece). When referring to a song, 歌 is often sufficient, though 歌曲 is more formal. The verb usage alone is literary or poetic; in everyday speech, people say 唱歌 instead of just 歌.
Examples
- 01我喜欢听中文歌。.I like listening to Chinese songs.
- 02她唱了一首很好听的歌。.She sang a very nice song.
Measure words
- 首一首歌
Common collocations
- 唱歌to sing
- 一首歌a song
- 流行歌pop song
- 听歌to listen to songs
Origin
The character 歌 combines 哥 (gē, elder brother, also phonetic component) and 欠 (qiàn, to owe, depicting a person with open mouth), suggesting the act of opening one's mouth to produce song.