TongTong
Sign in

朗诵 (lǎng sòng) — to recite, to read aloud with expression

Definition

朗诵 is to recite or read aloud with feeling and expression — typically poetry or prose performed for an audience. 朗读 is neutral reading aloud; 背诵 is reciting from memory.

verb
to reciteto read aloud with expression

Examples

  • 朗诵。
    Tā xǐ huan zài tái shàng lǎng sòng shī gē.
    He likes to recite poetry on stage.
  • 朗诵。
    Tā lǎng sòng le yì piān lǔ xùn de wén zhāng.
    She recited an article by Lu Xun.
  • 朗诵。
    Zhè cì lǎng sòng bǐ sài yǒu hěn duō rén cān jiā.
    Many people participated in this recitation competition.

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.

朗lǎngclear/loud
诵sòngrecite

朗 gives the sense of clear, loud delivery, while 诵 means recite; together they mean expressive recitation.

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
月月yuèmoon
Sound part声符shēngfú
良
良liáng朗lǎng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

朗 pairs 月, the moon, with 良 as a sound part.

Open 朗 →

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 誦; 诵 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
甬
甬yǒng誦sòng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 誦 pairs 言 (words) with 甬 to give the sound; the simplified 诵 is a later shorthand.

Open 诵 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Reading & Writing

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.