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歌谣 (gē yáo) — folk song; ballad

Definition

A traditional folk song passed down orally, usually simple and sung by ordinary people. Compared with 歌曲 (any song, modern or formal) and 民歌 (folk song broadly, including art-styled works), 歌谣 emphasizes the simple, communal, orally-transmitted kind.

noun
folk songballad
Measure word · 首

Examples

  • 歌谣。
    Zhè shǒu gē yáo zài mín jiān liú chuán le hěn jiǔ.
    This folk song has been passed down among the people for a long time.
  • 。
    Hái zi men yì biān wán yóu xì yì biān chàng gē yáo.
    The children sang folk songs while playing games.
  • 歌谣。
    Tā shōu jí le xǔ duō dì fāng de gē yáo.
    She has collected folk songs from many places.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

歌gēsong
谣yáoballad/folk song

歌 (song) and 谣 (ballad) are both sung pieces, together meaning folksong or ballad.

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 謠; 谣 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
䍃
䍃䍃謠yáo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 謠 puts 言, meaning speech, beside 䍃, which supplies the sound; the simplified 谣 is a later shorthand.

Open 谣 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Music

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