Meaning of 奏
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to play music
- to achieve
- to present a memorial to the emperor (old)
How to use 奏
奏 (zòu) rarely stands alone in modern speech. It mostly appears in compounds like 演奏 (yǎnzòu), 伴奏 (bànzòu) and 节奏 (jiézòu). Example: 他在音乐会上演奏钢琴。(Tā zài yīnyuèhuì shàng yǎnzòu gāngqín.) He played the piano at the concert.
Picture 奏 (zòu) as a musician raising both arms wide at the top while the bottom part 天-like shape stands firm, playing music up to the sky. Think of a performer lifting an instrument high to play.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 奏 (zòu) with 秦 (qín, the Qin dynasty) and 泰 (tài, peaceful), which share the same top. Check the bottom: 奏 ends in 天, 秦 in 禾, and 泰 in 水.
奏 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.
奏 zòu · to play music · 9 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 奏.
| 演奏 | yǎnzòu | to perform on a musical instrument |
| 节奏 | jiézòu | rhythm; tempo |
| 奏效 | zòuxiào | to show results; to be effective |
| 伴奏 | bànzòu | to accompany (musically) |
| 弹奏 | tánzòu | to play (musical instrument, esp. string) |
| 独奏 | dúzòu | solo |
| 吹奏 | chuīzòu | to play (wind instruments) |
| 四重奏 | sìchóngzòu | quartet (musical ensemble) |
| 前奏 | qiánzòu | prelude; presage |
| 协奏曲 | xiézòuqǔ | concerto |
Questions about 奏
What does 奏 mean?
奏 (zòu) means "to play music; to achieve" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 奏?
奏 is made of 1 character: 奏 (9 strokes). That is 9 strokes in total.
Is 奏 an HSK word?
Yes. 奏 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 演奏 and 弹奏?
演奏 (yǎnzòu) means to perform on any instrument, often in a formal setting. 弹奏 (tánzòu) specifically means playing by plucking or pressing, such as piano, guitar or guzheng.
How is 奏 used to mean 'to achieve'?
This sense appears in set phrases like 奏效 (zòuxiào), to be effective, and 大奏奇功 (dà zòu qí gōng), to achieve remarkable success. For example, 这个办法很快奏效了。(Zhège bànfǎ hěn kuài zòuxiào le.) This method worked quickly.