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謳 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
謳ōusongs; to singx, 18 strokes, radical 言
ōu(ou1) T1
  1. 1songs; to sing
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

謳ōu(ou1)

The character 謳 (ōu) refers to the act of singing or can denote songs. It is often used in literary or poetic contexts, emphasizing the beauty and artistry of singing. While it is not commonly used in everyday conversation, it may appear in classical literature or formal writing.

Strokes18Radical言
Cultural Note

In classical Chinese poetry, songs and singing often symbolize the expression of emotions and reflections on nature. 謳 embodies this artistic tradition, highlighting the importance of music in Chinese culture.

Memory Tip

Think of 謳 as a 'song' that you 'owe' to someone special. The character has the speech radical (言) on the left, indicating it relates to words or sounds, while the right side suggests a sense of action. Imagine a scene where someone is passionately singing a song they owe to a loved one.

Meanings of 謳

ōu(ou1)
1songs; to sing
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 謳

謳Simplified
18Strokes
言Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 謳

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Podcast: 謳

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AI Study Notes for 謳

Quick Contrast

歌 (gē) vs 曲 (qǔ) - choose 謳 (ōu) for its literary and poetic connotation, while 歌 (gē) is more general for 'song' and 曲 (qǔ) refers to 'tune' or 'melody'.

Usage Notes

Be cautious not to confuse 謳 with other similar-sounding characters. It is more formal and literary, so it's less suitable for casual conversation. Common collocations include 謳歌 (ōu gē), meaning to sing praises, which is a frequently used phrase in literature.

HSK Study Tips

Though 謳 is not included in HSK levels, it connects with the theme of music and arts found in HSK vocabulary. Students should focus on its literary uses and try to relate it to similar characters related to singing and music.

Common Mistakes

Learners may confuse 謳 with 唱, which is more commonly used in casual contexts. For example, saying 我喜欢謳 (Wǒ xǐhuān ōu) instead of 我喜欢唱 (Wǒ xǐhuān chàng) would be incorrect in everyday conversation.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 謳

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Etymology of 謳

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

speech

Semantic (meaning)言
+
Phonetic (sound)區
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 謳

  1. 1The meaning half言 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half區 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayspeech
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 謳? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 謳?

Decomposition of 謳

IDS Structure⿰言區
謳Full Character
=
言yan2
left
區qu1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 謳?

How to say songs; to sing in Chinese

“songs; to sing” in Chinese is謳ōu

The character 謳 (ōu) refers to the act of singing or can denote songs. It is often used in literary or poetic contexts, emphasizing the beauty and artistry of singing. While it is not commonly used in everyday conversation, it may appear in classical literature or formal writing.

When to use 謳

Be cautious not to confuse 謳 with other similar-sounding characters. It is more formal and literary, so it's less suitable for casual conversation. Common collocations include 謳歌 (ōu gē), meaning to sing praises, which is a frequently used phrase in literature.

謳 or something close to it

歌 (gē) vs 曲 (qǔ) - choose 謳 (ōu) for its literary and poetic connotation, while 歌 (gē) is more general for 'song' and 曲 (qǔ) refers to 'tune' or 'melody'.

What learners get wrong

Learners may confuse 謳 with 唱, which is more commonly used in casual contexts. For example, saying 我喜欢謳 (Wǒ xǐhuān ōu) instead of 我喜欢唱 (Wǒ xǐhuān chàng) would be incorrect in everyday conversation.

Write 謳

謳

Practice writing 謳 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 謳

Words Containing This Character3
讴歌to eulogize謳歌
讴ōuto sing謳
讴吟song謳吟
Exercise 1 of 3

Compound Meaning

What does 讴歌 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 謳

No, 謳 is more often found in literary contexts than in daily speech.

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