Meaning of 歌手
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- singer
How to use 歌手
歌手 is the everyday word for a singer, from pop stars to people singing in a bar. You often hear it with words like 有名 (yǒumíng, famous) or 流行 (liúxíng, pop). Example: 她是一个很有名的歌手。 (Tā shì yí gè hěn yǒumíng de gēshǒu.) She is a very famous singer.
歌 (gē) means song and 手 (shǒu) means hand, but here 手 marks a person skilled at something. A 歌手 is a "song hand", someone whose craft is singing.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes say 唱歌手 when they mean singer. 唱歌 (chànggē) is the verb "to sing", and 歌手 is the person, so you say 他是歌手 (He is a singer), not 他是唱歌手.
歌手 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.
歌 gē · song · 14 strokes
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手 shǒu · hand · 4 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 歌手.
| 手机 | shǒujī | cell phone; mobile phone |
| 唱歌 | chànggē | to sing a song |
| 洗手间 | xǐshǒujiān | toilet; lavatory |
| 手表 | shǒubiǎo | wristwatch |
| 举手 | jǔshǒu | to raise a hand; to put up one's hand (as signal) |
| 手指 | shǒuzhǐ | finger |
| 对手 | duìshǒu | opponent; rival |
| 选手 | xuǎnshǒu | athlete; contestant |
| 握手 | wòshǒu | to shake hands |
| 歌声 | gēshēng | singing voice; fig. original voice of a poet |
| 手续 | shǒuxù | procedure; formalities |
| 歌迷 | gēmí | fan of a singer |
Questions about 歌手
What does 歌手 mean?
歌手 (gēshǒu) means "singer" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 歌手?
歌手 is made of 2 characters: 歌 (14 strokes), 手 (4 strokes). That is 18 strokes in total.
Is 歌手 an HSK word?
Yes. 歌手 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
Why does 手 (hand) appear in a word for singer?
In words for people, 手 often means someone who does a skill or job, like 选手 (xuǎnshǒu, contestant) or 高手 (gāoshǒu, expert). So 歌手 is literally a person skilled at songs.
What is the difference between 歌手 and 歌星?
歌手 is a neutral word for any singer. 歌星 (gēxīng) means a singing star, so it is used for famous, popular singers.