Meaning of 声
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- sound
- voice
- tone
- noise
- reputation
- classifier for sounds
How to use 声
声 (shēng) appears in many sound words like 声音 (shēngyīn), 歌声 (gēshēng) and 铃声 (língshēng). It also works as a classifier for sounds, often after a number or with verbs like 叫 or 喊. Example: 他叫了一声。(Tā jiào le yì shēng.) He gave a shout.
The simplified 声 (shēng) keeps only the top of the traditional 聲, which has 耳 (ěr, ear) at the bottom. Picture a sound so loud it rises above your ear and fills the room.
Common mistake: Learners often write 声 with the bottom part of 卖 or 壳 in mind and add extra strokes. Also, 声 alone usually needs a partner in speech, so say 声音很大 (shēngyīn hěn dà) rather than 声很大 for "the sound is loud."
声 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
声 shēng · sound · 7 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 声.
| 声音 | shēngyīn | sound; voice |
| 大声 | dà shēng | loud voice; in a loud voice |
| 小声 | xiǎo shēng | in a low voice; (speak) in whispers |
| 声明 | shēngmíng | to state; to declare |
| 歌声 | gēshēng | singing voice; fig. original voice of a poet |
| 铃声 | língshēng | ring; ringtone |
| 相声 | xiàngsheng | comic dialogue; sketch |
| 掌声 | zhǎngshēng | applause |
| 笑声 | xiàoshēng | laughter |
| 响声 | xiǎngshēng | noise |
| 声称 | shēngchēng | to claim; to state |
| 名声 | míngshēng | reputation |
Questions about 声
What does 声 mean?
声 (shēng) means "sound; voice" and is used as a noun and measure word.
How do you write 声?
声 is made of 1 character: 声 (7 strokes). That is 7 strokes in total.
Is 声 an HSK word?
Yes. 声 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 声 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 声 is written 聲.
What is the difference between 声 and 声音?
声音 (shēngyīn) is the everyday standalone noun for sound or voice. 声 (shēng) mostly appears inside compounds like 大声 or 歌声, or as a classifier, as in 一声 (yì shēng).
How do I say "speak louder" or "speak quietly" with 声?
Use 大声 (dà shēng) or 小声 (xiǎo shēng) before the verb, often with 点: 大声点说 (dà shēng diǎn shuō), speak a bit louder. 小声说 (xiǎo shēng shuō) means to speak quietly.