歌坛 (gē tán) — the music scene, the vocal music world (especially pop music)

Definition

Refers to the world of professional (especially pop) singing in Chinese-speaking regions — the music scene, the vocal industry. Often used with 上 (歌坛上) to mean 'in the music world'.

noun
the music scenethe vocal music world (especially pop music)

Examples

  • 歌坛。
    Tā shí bā suì jiù jìn rù le gē tán.
    She entered the music scene at age 18.
  • 歌坛。
    Tā zài gē tán shàng yǐ jīng hóng le shí nián.
    He has been famous in the music scene for ten years.
  • 歌坛。
    Zhè wèi xīn rén zài gē tán shàng yǐn qǐ le hěn dà de guān zhù.
    This newcomer has attracted a lot of attention in the music scene.

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.

歌gēsong
坛tánplatform

歌 refers to singing and 坛 to a platform or circle, together naming the singing world.

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
欠欠qiànblow
Sound part声符shēngfú
哥
哥gē歌gē
Same sound today

The shape 歌 uses 哥 for the sound and 欠, meaning blow. It came from a form of 哥 used for singing.

Open 歌 →

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 壇; 坛 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔ
Sound part声符shēngfú
亶
亶dǎn壇tán
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 壇 pairs 土 (earth) with 亶 as a sound component; the simplified 坛 is a later shorthand.

Open 坛 →

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