主题曲 (zhǔ tí qǔ) — theme song | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A song written for a specific film, show, game, or event — not a general song (歌曲), but one tied to a particular 主题 (theme) as its signature piece.

noun

theme song

Measure word · 首

主题曲。
Zhè bù dòng huà piàn de zhǔ tí qǔ wǒ cóng xiǎo jiù huì chàng.
I've been able to sing the theme song of this anime since I was a child.
主题曲。
Měi jiè ào yùn huì dōu yǒu zhuān mén de zhǔ tí qǔ.
Every Olympic Games has its own special theme song.
主题曲，。
Yóu xì zhǔ tí qǔ yì xiǎng, wǒ jiù zhī dào yào kāi shǐ le.
As soon as the game's theme song plays, I know it's about to start.

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.

主题theme

偏正Modifier + head

主 gives the main point, 题 the topic, and 曲 names the song.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The old forms that became 主 showed a lamp or torch with a flame at the top; other forms showed wood on fire or a spirit tablet.

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 題; 题 is its simplified writing.

是頁題

Meaning part形符xíngfú

頁頁yèhead

Sound part声符shēngfú

是

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For 题, the traditional form 題 uses 是 for sound and 頁 for head, and means 'forehead'.

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'.

Appears in