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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
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
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.
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.
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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Phonosemantic compound. 欠 represents the meaning and 哥 represents the sound.
1The meaning half欠 carries the sense.
2The sound half哥 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawaybreath
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 歌? 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 歌?
Decomposition of 歌
IDS Structure⿰哥欠
歌Full Character
=
哥ge1
left
欠qian4
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 歌?
How to say song in Chinese
“song” in Chinese is歌gē
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.
When to use 歌
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.'
歌 or something close to it
唱 (chàng) vs 歌 (gē): Use 歌 when referring specifically to a song, while 唱 emphasizes the act of singing.
What learners get wrong
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.
Write 歌
歌
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Practice writing 歌 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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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.
