歌 meaning and stroke order
Song (CL:首[shou3],支[zhi1]); (bound form) to sing
How to write 歌, stroke by stroke
14 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 歌
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- song (CL:首[shou3],支[zhi1])
- (bound form) to sing
- variant of 歌[ge1]
How 歌 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Breath.
欠 gives the meaning and 哥 hints at the sound.
Radical: 欠 (to lack), shared by 28 characters on this site.
How to remember 歌
On the left is 哥 (gē, older brother), which gives the sound. On the right is 欠, a person with an open mouth breathing out, so picture your older brother taking a big breath to sing a song.
歌 usually appears in compounds such as 唱歌 (chànggē, to sing) and 歌手 (gēshǒu, singer). To count songs, use 首 (shǒu). Example: 我们一起唱一首歌吧。 (Wǒmen yìqǐ chàng yì shǒu gē ba.) Let's sing a song together.
Common mistake: Learners often write only 哥 and forget the 欠 on the right, since both are read gē. Also, do not say 歌 alone to mean "to sing" in everyday speech. Say 唱歌 (chànggē) or 唱 (chàng) instead.
Common words with 歌
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 唱歌 | chànggē | to sing a song | HSK 1 |
| 歌手 | gēshǒu | singer | HSK 3 |
| 歌声 | gēshēng | singing voice; fig. original voice of a poet | HSK 3 |
| 歌迷 | gēmí | fan of a singer | HSK 3 |
| 歌曲 | gēqǔ | song | HSK 5 |
| 诗歌 | shīgē | poem | HSK 5 |
| 歌唱 | gēchàng | to sing | HSK 6 |
| 歌词 | gēcí | song lyric; lyrics | HSK 6 |
| 歌星 | gēxīng | singing star; famous singer | HSK 6 |
| 国歌 | guógē | national anthem | HSK 6 |
| 民歌 | míngē | folk song | HSK 6 |
| 歌剧 | gējù | Western opera | HSK 7-9 |
| 歌舞 | gēwǔ | singing and dancing | HSK 7-9 |
| 歌颂 | gēsòng | to sing the praises of; to extol | HSK 7-9 |
歌 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 歌
How many strokes are in 歌?
歌 is written with 14 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 歌 mean?
歌 (gē) means song (CL:首[shou3],支[zhi1]); (bound form) to sing. A common word with it is 唱歌 (chànggē), meaning "to sing a song".
How do you pronounce 歌?
歌 is pronounced gē, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 歌?
The radical of 歌 is 欠, which carries the idea of "to lack". Dictionaries list 歌 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 歌?
The traditional form of 歌 is 謌. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 歌 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 歌 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 歌 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
What is the difference between 歌 and 歌曲?
Both mean song. 歌 is the everyday word, as in 这首歌很好听 (this song sounds great). 歌曲 (gēqǔ) is more formal and is common in writing, on charts, and in titles.
Is 唱歌 one word or a verb plus an object?
It works as a verb plus an object, so you can put words in between. For example, 唱了一首歌 (chàng le yì shǒu gē) means "sang a song," and 唱什么歌 (chàng shénme gē) means "sing what song."