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天籁 (tiān lài) — sounds of nature (wind, water, birds, etc.); (in 天籁之音) heavenly music; sublime sound

Definition

Literary word for the 'sounds of nature' — wind, water, birds — often used as a set phrase 天籁之音 ('heavenly music') to praise music or voices that feel pure and natural.

noun
sounds of nature (wind, water, birds, etc.)(in 天籁之音) heavenly musicsublime sound

Examples

  • ，天籁。
    Qīng chén de shān lín lǐ, tiān lài ràng rén xīn kuàng shén yí.
    In the early morning forest, the sounds of nature are refreshing and relaxing.
  • 天籁，。
    Zhè shǒu gāng qín qǔ rú tiān lài zhī yīn, lìng rén táo zuì.
    This piano piece is like heavenly music, intoxicating the listener.
  • ，天籁。
    Tā xǐ huan zài hú biān jìng zuò, líng tīng tiān lài.
    He likes to sit quietly by the lake and listen to the sounds of nature.

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.

天tiānheaven/nature
籁làisounds

天籁 joins 天, heaven or nature, with 籁, sounds, to mean sounds of nature.

Characters in this word

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
大大dà
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng天tiān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape comes from a frontal standing man 大 with a head; 天 pairs 大 with 丁 for sound.

Open 天 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Appears in
Music

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