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旋律 (xuán lǜ) — melody

Definition

旋律 (xuánlǜ) is a formal noun for 'melody' as a musical concept — more technical than the everyday 调, and broader than 曲, which refers to a specific song or composition.

noun
melody
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 旋律。
    Zhè shǒu gē qǔ de xuán lǜ fēi cháng yōu měi.
    The melody of this song is very beautiful.
  • 旋律。
    Tā xǐ huan hēng chàng qīng kuài de xuán lǜ.
    She likes to hum light and lively melodies.
  • 。
    Zhè bù diàn yǐng de zhǔ xuán lǜ ràng rén nán wàng.
    The main melody of this movie is unforgettable.

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.

旋xuánturning
律lǜpitch

The turning movement implied by 旋 guides the regulated pitch in 律, producing the idea of a melody that winds through notes.

Characters in this word

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

  • 㫃㫃㫃flag
  • 止止zhǐfoot
  • 〇〇língcircle

旋 combines 㫃 (a flag), 止 (a foot), and 〇 (a circle), and 〇 also gave the sound.

Open 旋 →

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
彳彳chì
Sound part声符shēngfú
聿
聿yù律lǜ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

律 puts 彳 beside 聿: 彳 is the part tied to the meaning, and 聿 is the part tied to the sound.

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

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