谱曲 (pǔ qǔ) — to set words to music; to compose a melody for lyrics

Definition

To compose a melody for existing lyrics. 谱 (write/compose) is the action; 曲 (melody/tune) is the output — so it specifically means writing music to fit words, not writing songs from scratch.

verb
to set words to musicto compose a melody for lyrics

Examples

  • 谱曲。
    Tā zhèng zài wèi zhè shǒu gē cí pǔ qǔ.
    He is setting these lyrics to music.
  • 。
    Tā wèi zhè shǒu gē pǔ le yì shǒu qǔ.
    He composed a melody for this song.
  • 谱曲。
    Zhè wèi zuò qǔ jiā yǐ jīng wèi xǔ duō diàn yǐng pǔ qǔ.
    This composer has already written music for many films.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

谱pǔcompose or write out
曲qǔmelody

谱 means to compose or write out, and 曲 is a melody; together they mean to compose music.

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.

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 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

曲 is drawn as a bent object, matching the meaning 'bend'.

Open 曲 →

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