To sing or chant with breath flowing from an open mouth.
A song; to sing or perform vocal music. Older brother 哥 opens his mouth, breath 欠 flowing out as a tune.
歌
Common Usage & Traps
- 唱歌 — to sing a song
- 歌手 — singer
- 一首歌 — one song
- 国歌 — national anthem
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唱歌一首歌唱一首歌The measure word phrase 一首 must come before the noun 歌, not after the verb 唱歌.
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歌我唱歌歌 is a noun or bound verb; to say 'sing a song' you need the verb 唱 before 歌, not after.
What is the difference between 歌 and 哥?
歌 means 'song' or 'to sing'; 哥 means 'elder brother'.
They look similar because 歌 contains 哥 as its left component, but they are different characters with different meanings. 哥 (gē) is a noun for 'elder brother', while 歌 (gē) is a noun for 'song' or a bound verb meaning 'to sing'. Remember: 歌 has 欠 on the right, which suggests an open mouth singing.
| Dimension | 歌 | 哥 |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | song; to sing | elder brother |
| Pinyin | gē | gē |
| Example | 唱歌 (to sing) | 哥哥 (elder brother) |
| Component | 哥 + 欠 | 哥 alone |
Can 歌 be used alone as a verb meaning 'to sing'?
No, 歌 is not used alone as a verb in modern Mandarin; you need 唱歌.
In modern Mandarin, 歌 is primarily a noun meaning 'song'. To express the action 'to sing', you must use the verb 唱 (chàng) followed by 歌, forming 唱歌. Using 歌 alone as a verb sounds incomplete or archaic.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| To sing a song | 唱歌 | 歌 |
| I sing | 我唱歌 | 我歌 |
| She sings well | 她唱歌唱得很好 | 她歌得很好 |
Appears in Stories 3 stories
Ever wondered where old Beijing's tea-drinking culture has gone? Follow a visitor discovering why locals now avoid famous tea houses—and practice expressing surprise and comparisons in Chinese along the way.
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因为在那儿可以一边喝茶，一边看表演，看 唱歌 、跳舞什么的。
This simple story introduces you to a family and what each member likes to do. Learn helpful words for food and daily activities as you read about Grandpa, Grandma, Mom, Dad, and the kids.
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哥哥爱 唱歌 。
This short poem plays with words that sound alike, comparing things that are good to watch, read, hear, or taste. Perfect for practicing basic adjectives like 好 and 真.
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好 歌 真好听，真话不好听。
Questions & Discussion 0 questions
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