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March 24, 2026
歌gē(ge1)
The character 歌 (gē) primarily means 'song' and can also refer to the act of 'singing.' It is commonly used in contexts related to music, culture, and entertainment. This character embodies the essence of expressing feelings and stories through melody and lyrics.
Strokes14Radical欠Frequency#534DifficultyEasy
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, singing is a popular pastime, often seen in karaoke (KTV) settings, where friends gather to sing together. The character 歌 reflects the importance of music in social bonding and entertainment.
Memory Tip
Imagine a group of people gathered together, singing a beautiful song under the moonlight. The character 歌 has a radical for 'singing' and looks like a mouth (口) next to a person (我), suggesting the act of a person singing aloud. The pronunciation 'gē' sounds like 'guy' and can be remembered as 'the guy who sings.'
Meanings of 歌
gē(ge1)
1song
2to sing
Exercise 1 of 2
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About 歌
歌Simplified
14Strokes
欠Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#534Frequency Rank
支Measure Word
HSK 3.0L1ElementaryTOCFLL1YCTL1HSKKL1CEFRA1
Podcast: 歌
Podcast: 歌
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AI Study Notes for 歌
Quick Contrast
唱 (chàng) vs 歌 (gē): Use 歌 when referring specifically to a song, while 唱 emphasizes the act of singing.
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine a group of people gathered together, singing a beautiful song under the moonlight. The character 歌 has a radical for 'singing' and looks like a mouth (口) next to a person (我), suggesting the act of a person singing aloud. The pronunciation 'gē' sounds like 'guy' and can be remembered as 'the guy who sings.'
Usage Notes
Be careful not to confuse 歌 with other similar-sounding words. It is informal and often used in casual contexts, like discussing favorite songs. Common collocations include '唱歌' (chàng gē) meaning 'to sing' and '歌词' (gēcí) meaning 'lyrics.'
HSK Study Tips
Although 歌 is not specifically listed in HSK levels, it is closely related to basic vocabulary around music and emotions. Students should focus on using it in phrases like '我喜欢这首歌' (I like this song) to practice sentence structure.
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, singing is a popular pastime, often seen in karaoke (KTV) settings, where friends gather to sing together. The character 歌 reflects the importance of music in social bonding and entertainment.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 歌 with 曲 (qǔ), which also means 'music' but has a broader connotation. A common mistake is saying '我喜欢这曲' instead of '我喜欢这首歌' to indicate liking a specific song.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 歌
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Grammar Patterns of 歌
歌 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Switzerland isn't all cow bells and yodelling, you know.
6
你可以跟着一起唱你最喜爱的“猫王”的热门歌曲。
nǐ kě yǐ gēn zháo yī qǐ chàng nǐ zuì xǐ ài de“ “ māo” wáng ” de rè mén。
You can sing along to your favourite Elvis hits.
7
拨打09064748000，为你最喜爱的歌投上一票。
bō dǎ09064748000， 09064748000， wéi nǐ zuì xǐ ài de gē tóu shàng yī。
Vote for your fave song by dialing 0906 474
8
把你最好的一两首歌的小样寄给我们。
bǎ nǐ zuì hǎo de yī liǎng shǒu gē de xiǎo yàng jì gěi wǒ mén。
Send us a demo with one or two of your best songs.
9
约翰尼和盖伊是英国最了不起的、还未被公众认可的流行歌曲创作者。
yuē hàn ní hé gài yī shì yīng guó zuì le bù qǐ de、 、 huán wèi bèi gōng zhòng rèn kě de liú háng gē qū chuàng zuò。
Johnny and Guy are the greatest unacknowledged pop songwriters in Britain.
10
这套盒装专辑收录了64首最好听的当代爱情歌曲。
zhè tào hé zhuāng zhuān jí shōu lù le64 64 shǒu zuì hǎo tīng de dāng dài ài qíng gē。
This boxed collection captures 64 of the greatest modern love songs.
Cultural Notes for 歌
🏮Cultural insight
In Chinese culture, singing is a popular pastime, often seen in karaoke (KTV) settings, where friends gather to sing together. The character 歌 reflects the importance of music in social bonding and entertainment.
Word Family of 歌
Words Containing This Character20
歌gēsong
歌曲gēqǔsong
唱歌chànggēto sing a song
歌手gēshǒusinger
歌词gēcísong lyric歌詞
歌迷gēmífan of a singer
歌声gēshēngsinging voice歌聲
歌唱gēchàngto sing
诗歌shīgēpoem詩歌
歌舞gēwǔsinging and dancing
歌剧gējùWestern opera歌劇
情歌love song
歌星gēxīngsinging star
民歌míngēfolk song
国歌guógēnational anthem國歌
歌颂gēsòngto extol歌頌
歌坛singing stage歌壇
儿歌nursery rhyme兒歌
陈凯歌Chen Kaige (1952-), Chinese movie director陳凱歌
歌谣folksong歌謠
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 歌 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 歌
歌 (gē) refers to 'song' as a noun, while 唱歌 (chàng gē) means 'to sing' as a verb.
While 歌 primarily refers to songs, it can also be used more broadly to discuss lyrical music, but might not encompass all instrumental music.
You can say '我在听这首歌' (Wǒ zài tīng zhè shǒu gē) which means 'I am listening to this song.'
