Music in Chinese 音乐
yīnyuè
Music in Chinese is 音乐 (yīn yuè).
Also searched for as: music in pinyin, song, instruments, sing.
Hobby specifics: listening and playing. 15 essential music words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
The word for music in Chinese is 音乐 (yīn yuè), combining 音 'sound' with 乐 'music', a character read lè when it means happy. These words let you talk about what you listen to, from 流行音乐 (liú xíng yīn yuè), pop music, to classical, and what you play, whether that's the 钢琴 (gāng qín), piano, or the 吉他 (jí tā), guitar. You'll also find the right verbs for playing each instrument.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 音乐 | yīn yuè | music |
| 歌 | gē | song |
| 唱歌 | chàng gē | to sing |
| 听 | tīng | to listen |
| 歌手 | gē shǒu | singer |
| 乐队 | yuè duì | band |
| 演唱会 | yǎn chàng huì | concert |
| 钢琴 | gāng qín | piano |
| 吉他 | jí tā | guitar |
| 小提琴 | xiǎo tí qín | violin |
| 鼓 | gǔ | drum |
| 流行音乐 | liú xíng yīn yuè | pop music |
| 古典音乐 | gǔ diǎn yīn yuè | classical music |
| 耳机 | ěr jī | headphones |
| 节奏 | jié zòu | rhythm |
Usage tips
- The measure word for a song is 首 (shǒu): 这首歌 (zhè shǒu gē), 'this song'.
- Instruments take different verbs: 弹钢琴 (tán gāng qín) and 弹吉他 (tán jí tā), 拉小提琴 (lā xiǎo tí qín), 打鼓 (dǎ gǔ) and 吹笛子 (chuī dí zi).
- 好听 (hǎo tīng), 'nice to listen to', is the natural compliment for a song or a voice, while 好看 (hǎo kàn) is for things you look at.
Common mistakes
- Saying 玩钢琴 or 玩吉他 for 'play the piano' or 'play the guitar' → use 弹 (tán): 弹钢琴 (tán gāng qín), 弹吉他 (tán jí tā).
- Reading 音乐 as yīn lè → in 'music' 乐 is yuè; lè is for 'happy', as in 快乐 (kuài lè).
Mini dialogue
- A你在听什么？Nǐ zài tīng shén me?What are you listening to?
- B一首新歌，是我最喜欢的歌手唱的。Yī shǒu xīn gē, shì wǒ zuì xǐ huan de gē shǒu chàng de.A new song by my favourite singer.
- A好听吗？Hǎo tīng ma?Is it any good?
- B特别好听，节奏很快。你也喜欢流行音乐吗？Tè bié hǎo tīng, jié zòu hěn kuài. Nǐ yě xǐ huan liú xíng yīn yuè ma?Really good, it's got a fast rhythm. Do you like pop music too?
- A还行，我更喜欢古典音乐。我在学钢琴。Hái xíng, wǒ gèng xǐ huan gǔ diǎn yīn yuè. Wǒ zài xué gāng qín.It's OK, but I prefer classical. I'm learning the piano.
Example sentences
- 我开车的时候喜欢听音乐。I like listening to music while driving.
- 这首歌真好听！This song is really lovely!
- 她唱歌唱得特别好。She sings especially well.
- 你在听什么？What are you listening to?
- 她是我最喜欢的歌手。She's my favourite singer.
- 我哥哥在一个乐队里打鼓。My older brother plays drums in a band.
- 下个月我要去看演唱会。I'm going to a concert next month.
- 她六岁开始学钢琴。She started learning the piano at six.
- 他一边弹吉他一边唱歌。He sings while playing the guitar.
- 我女儿每天练小提琴。My daughter practises the violin every day.
- 这个鼓的声音太大了！This drum is too loud!
- 年轻人大多喜欢流行音乐。Most young people like pop music.
- 爸爸睡前喜欢听古典音乐。Dad likes listening to classical music before bed.
- 我的耳机找不到了。I can't find my headphones.
- 这首歌的节奏很快。This song has a fast rhythm.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Music speaking island has 8 everyday questions about music to prepare your own answers to.