Music
intermediate音乐
Learn vocabulary for talking about music, instruments, concerts, and the vibrant KTV culture in China. Covers genres, listening habits, and performing.
38 words12 phrases2 dialogues~25 min study time
Vocabulary
38 words — click any row for an example sentence
Music
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 音乐 | yīnyuè | music | noun |
| 歌 | gē | song | noun |
| 歌手 | gēshǒu | singer | noun |
| 乐队 | yuèduì | band; musical group | noun |
| 演唱会 | yǎnchàng huì | concert; live performance | noun |
| 歌词 | gēcí | lyrics | noun |
| 旋律 | xuánlǜ | melody | noun |
| 专辑 | zhuānjí | album | noun |
| 节奏 | jiézòu | rhythm; beat | noun |
| 流行音乐 | liúxíng yīnyuè | pop music | noun |
| 民谣 | mínyáo | folk music; folk song | noun |
| 摇滚 | yáogǔn | rock (music) | noun |
| 粉丝 | fěnsī | fan; follower | noun |
| 好听 | hǎotīng | pleasant to listen to; sounds good | adjective |
Instruments
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 钢琴 | gāngqín | piano | noun |
| 吉他 | jítā | guitar | noun |
| 笛子 | dízi | Chinese bamboo flute | noun |
| 二胡 | èrhú | erhu (Chinese two-stringed fiddle) | noun |
| 古筝 | gǔzhēng | guzheng (Chinese zither) | noun |
| 鼓 | gǔ | drum | noun |
| 琵琶 | pípá | pipa (Chinese lute) | noun |
| 乐器 | yuèqì | musical instrument | noun |
Actions
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 唱歌 | chàng gē | to sing | verb |
| 弹 | tán | to play (a stringed or keyboard instrument) | verb |
| 拉 | lā | to play (a bowed instrument like erhu or violin) | verb |
| 吹 | chuī | to blow; to play (a wind instrument) | verb |
| 听歌 | tīng gē | to listen to music/songs | verb |
| 打鼓 | dǎ gǔ | to play the drums | verb |
| 练习 | liànxí | to practice | verb |
| 下载 | xiàzǎi | to download | verb |
KTV
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 点歌 | diǎn gē | to request a song; to select a song (at KTV) | verb |
| 麦克风 | màikèfēng | microphone | noun |
| 包房 | bāofáng | private room (at KTV) | noun |
| 合唱 | héchàng | to sing together; duet; chorus | verb |
| 跑调 | pǎo diào | to sing off-key; out of tune | verb |
| 麦霸 | mài bà | microphone hog (someone who dominates KTV singing) | noun |
| 伴奏 | bànzòu | accompaniment; backing track | noun |
| 音量 | yīnliàng | volume | noun |
Key Phrases
Essential expressions
你喜欢听什么类型的音乐？
Nǐ xǐhuan tīng shénme lèixíng de yīnyuè?
What kind of music do you like listening to?
Asking about someone's music preferences.
这首歌叫什么名字？
Zhè shǒu gē jiào shénme míngzi?
What is the name of this song?
Asking about a song that is currently playing.
你会弹什么乐器？
Nǐ huì tán shénme yuèqì?
What instrument can you play?
Asking someone about their musical skills.
周末一起去唱KTV吧！
Zhōumò yìqǐ qù chàng KTV ba!
Let us go sing karaoke together this weekend!
Inviting friends to KTV.
你唱得真好听！
Nǐ chàng de zhēn hǎotīng!
You sing really well!
Complimenting someone's singing.
这首歌我会唱，让我来！
Zhè shǒu gē wǒ huì chàng, ràng wǒ lái!
I know this song. Let me sing it!
Volunteering to sing a song at KTV.
你用什么APP听歌？
Nǐ yòng shénme APP tīng gē?
What app do you use to listen to music?
Discussing music streaming apps.
他从小就学钢琴，弹得特别好。
Tā cóng xiǎo jiù xué gāngqín, tán de tèbié hǎo.
He has been learning piano since childhood and plays really well.
Talking about someone's musical background.
我买到了演唱会的票！
Wǒ mǎi dào le yǎnchàng huì de piào!
I got concert tickets!
Sharing excitement about getting concert tickets.
最近有什么好听的歌推荐吗？
Zuìjìn yǒu shénme hǎotīng de gē tuījiàn ma?
Do you have any good song recommendations recently?
Asking friends for music recommendations.
我五音不全，唱歌很难听。
Wǒ wǔ yīn bù quán, chàng gē hěn nántīng.
I am tone-deaf. My singing sounds terrible.
Self-deprecating comment about one's singing ability.
我们来合唱一首吧！
Wǒmen lái héchàng yì shǒu ba!
Let us sing a song together!
Suggesting a duet or group song at KTV.
Dialogues
Practice conversations
A Night at KTV
A group of friends arrives at a KTV venue to celebrate a birthday. They pick songs, sing, and have fun in their private room.
Speaker A
生日快乐！今天我们唱到十二点，我请客！
Speaker B
太好了！这个包房不错，音响效果很好。来，先点几首歌。
Speaker A
我先来一首周杰伦的《稻香》！谁要跟我合唱？
Speaker B
我来我来！这首歌我超喜欢的。把麦克风给我一个。
Speaker A
哈哈，你每次都是麦霸，让别人也唱唱嘛。
Speaker B
好好好，那我点完这首就让给你们。对了，音量是不是有点小？
Speaker A
确实有点小，我调大一点。你别跑调就行！
Speaker B
放心吧，这首歌我练了很多次了。来，开始！
Cultural note: KTV (karaoke) in China uses private rooms (包房) rather than singing in front of a public audience. Rooms are rented by the hour, come with their own sound systems, and have a touchscreen for selecting songs. It is common to order food, drinks, and snacks. Birthdays, team-building events, and friend gatherings are popular occasions for KTV.
Discussing Music Preferences
Two classmates are chatting about their music tastes and discover they have very different preferences.
Speaker A
你平时喜欢听什么类型的音乐？
Speaker B
我喜欢听民谣，像赵雷的歌我都很喜欢。你呢？
Speaker A
我比较喜欢摇滚和说唱，节奏快的那种。你听过中国的说唱吗？
Speaker B
听过一点，不太是我的风格。不过最近有一首说唱很火，歌词写得挺有意思的。
Speaker A
你说的是不是那首在抖音上特别火的？我听了好几遍了。
Speaker B
对对对！你用什么APP听歌？我用网易云音乐。
Speaker A
我用QQ音乐，因为版权比较多。你要不要听听我的歌单？说不定你也会喜欢摇滚。
Speaker B
好啊，发给我吧！我也分享一个民谣歌单给你，希望你喜欢。
Cultural note: Chinese music streaming is dominated by two main platforms: QQ Music (QQ音乐, part of the Tencent ecosystem) and NetEase Cloud Music (网易云音乐). Each has different licensed catalogs, so many users have accounts on both. NetEase Cloud Music is especially known for its user-generated comments section, where listeners share emotional reactions and stories beneath songs.
Cultural Notes
Context that textbooks miss
Test Yourself
8 questions covering vocabulary, phrases, and dialogue comprehension.
Take the Music Quiz (8 questions)→HSK Level Overlap
8 of 38 words appear in HSK levels