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乐谱 (yuè pǔ) — sheet music, musical score

Definition

乐谱 is the physical written document — the sheet music or score a musician reads. Contrast with 乐曲, the musical piece (composition) itself; 谱 can mean either, but as a verb also means 'to compose music'.

noun
sheet musicmusical score
Measure word · 张

Examples

  • 乐谱。
    Wǒ mǎi le zhè shǒu gāng qín qǔ de yuè pǔ.
    I bought the sheet music for this piano piece.
  • 乐谱，。
    Méi yǒu yuè pǔ, tā yě néng tán chū zhè shǒu qǔ zi.
    Even without sheet music, he can play this piece.
  • 乐谱？
    Nǐ néng bāng wǒ fù yìn zhè fèn yuè pǔ ma?
    Can you help me photocopy this sheet music?

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

乐lèmusic
谱pǔnotation

乐 is music, and 谱 is written notation.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 樂; 乐 is its simplified writing.

In the traditional form 樂, 絲 (string) with 木 (wood) shows strings on a piece of wood, a musical instrument; the simplified 乐 is a later shorthand.

Open 乐 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 譜; 谱 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánsound
Sound part声符shēngfú
普
普pǔ譜pǔ(r)
Same sound today

In the traditional form 譜, 言 relates to sound and 普 gives the pronunciation; this explanation is about 譜, not the simplified 谱.

Open 谱 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Music

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