When talking about music in Chinese, 歌词 (gēcí) is the word you'll use for 'lyrics'. It's a combination of 歌 (gē), meaning 'song' or 'to sing', and 词 (cí), meaning 'words' or 'poem'. So, literally, it means 'song words'.
You'll often hear it in contexts like '这首歌的歌词写得很好' (Zhè shǒu gē de gēcí xiě de hěn hǎo), meaning 'The lyrics of this song are very well written'. Or perhaps '你记得这首歌的歌词吗?' (Nǐ jìdé zhè shǒu gē de gēcí ma?), which asks 'Do you remember the lyrics to this song?'
It's a practical word to know if you enjoy listening to Chinese music or plan to sing karaoke! Just remember, 歌词 specifically refers to the words of a song, not the music itself.
歌词 in 30 Sekunden
- song words
- lyrics of a song
- text for singing
§ Understanding 歌词 (gēcí)
Alright, let's talk about 歌词 (gēcí). This word means 'lyrics'. It's pretty straightforward, but like many Chinese words, knowing how to put it into a sentence naturally makes all the difference. Think of it as the words of a song. Just like in English, you can talk about reading, writing, or understanding lyrics.
- Word Type
- Noun
§ Basic Usage: Attaching to Verbs
The most common way to use 歌词 (gēcí) is as the object of a verb. This means it's what's being acted upon. Here are some common verbs you'll pair with 歌词 (gēcí):
- 写 (xiě) - to write
- 读 (dú) - to read
- 听懂 (tīngdǒng) - to understand (by listening)
- 记住 (jìzhù) - to remember
- 喜欢 (xǐhuan) - to like
Let's see these in action:
他正在写歌词。
Translation hint: He is writing lyrics.
我喜欢这首歌的歌词。
Translation hint: I like this song's lyrics.
§ Using 歌词 (gēcí) with Measure Words
While 歌词 (gēcí) itself is a noun, you might want to talk about specific lines of lyrics or a collection of lyrics. For 'a line of lyrics', you can use 句 (jù), which is a common measure word for sentences or lines:
这句歌词很有意义。
Translation hint: This line of lyrics is very meaningful.
If you're talking about a collection or set of lyrics, you might just use 歌词 (gēcí) as is, or you could imply a collection. There isn't a specific measure word for 'a set of lyrics' in the same way there is for 'a song'. Context usually makes it clear.
§ Describing 歌词 (gēcí) with Adjectives
You can also use adjectives to describe 歌词 (gēcí), just like you would with any other noun. Common adjectives include:
- 美 (měi) - beautiful
- 深奥 (shēn'ào) - profound, abstruse
- 简单 (jiǎndān) - simple
- 感动 (gǎndòng) - touching (often used as an adjective for things that move you)
这首歌的歌词很美。
Translation hint: This song's lyrics are very beautiful.
他写的歌词总是很感动人。
Translation hint: The lyrics he writes are always very touching.
§ Important Note on Prepositions
In Chinese, prepositions like 'about' or 'on' are often handled differently than in English. You won't typically see a direct translation like "about the lyrics." Instead, the context or verb choice usually conveys the relationship. For example, if you want to say "discuss the lyrics," you would use 讨论 (tǎolùn) + 歌词 (gēcí) directly:
我们来讨论一下这首歌的歌词。
Translation hint: Let's discuss this song's lyrics a bit.
§ Putting It All Together
The key to using 歌词 (gēcí) correctly is to remember it's a noun and to pair it with appropriate verbs and adjectives. Don't overcomplicate it with direct prepositional translations. Keep it simple, keep it direct. Practice these examples, and you'll get the hang of it.
Wichtige Grammatik
Nouns can be modified by adjectives. For example, 美丽的歌词 (beautiful lyrics) or 感人的歌词 (moving lyrics).
这首歌有非常美丽的歌词。 (This song has very beautiful lyrics.)
The measure word for 歌词 is 句 (jù), meaning 'line' or 'sentence.' For example, 一句歌词 (a line of lyrics). However, when referring to the whole set of lyrics, it's often treated as an uncountable noun.
我只记得这首歌的一句歌词。 (I only remember one line of lyrics from this song.)
歌词 can be used with verbs like 写 (xiě) to write, 唱 (chàng) to sing, or 懂 (dǒng) to understand. For example, 写歌词 (to write lyrics), 唱歌词 (to sing the lyrics), 懂歌词 (to understand the lyrics).
他写的歌词总是很有意义。 (The lyrics he writes are always very meaningful.)
歌词 can be followed by 的 (de) to connect it to another noun, indicating possession or description. For example, 歌词的内容 (the content of the lyrics) or 歌词的意思 (the meaning of the lyrics).
你明白这首歌词的意思吗？ (Do you understand the meaning of these lyrics?)
When referring to a specific set of lyrics, you can use the structure 'song name + 的 + 歌词'. For example, '月亮代表我的心' 的歌词 (the lyrics of 'The Moon Represents My Heart').
请给我看看这首歌的歌词。 (Please show me the lyrics of this song.)
Beispiele nach Niveau
这首歌的歌词写得真好，情感表达得很到位。
The lyrics of this song are really well written, the emotions are expressed very aptly.
我每次K歌都会看歌词，不然就跟不上。
Every time I do karaoke, I look at the lyrics, otherwise I can't keep up.
他很擅长创作歌词，很多流行歌曲都是他填的词。
He is very good at writing lyrics; many popular songs have lyrics written by him.
这首古风歌曲的歌词很有诗意，听起来特别有韵味。
The lyrics of this ancient style song are very poetic, and it sounds particularly charming.
演唱会时，全场观众跟着歌词一起大合唱，场面非常震撼。
During the concert, the entire audience sang along with the lyrics, and the scene was very spectacular.
学习一门外语时，听歌看歌词是提高听力和词汇量的好方法。
When learning a foreign language, listening to songs and reading lyrics is a good way to improve listening comprehension and vocabulary.
有些歌词虽然简单，却能触动人心，引起共鸣。
Some lyrics, although simple, can touch people's hearts and resonate with them.
他把这首歌的歌词改成了搞笑版本，在派对上唱，把大家都逗乐了。
He changed the lyrics of this song into a funny version and sang it at the party, making everyone laugh.
这首歌的歌词写得很美，充满了诗意和哲理。
The lyrics of this song are beautifully written, full of poetry and philosophy.
很美 (hěn měi) - very beautiful, 充满 (chōngmǎn) - to be full of
他花了几个月的时间才把这首新歌的歌词修改得完美无缺。
He spent several months revising the lyrics of this new song until they were perfect.
花了 (huā le) - spent (time/money), 完美无缺 (wánměi wúquē) - perfect, flawless
虽然我不懂中文，但我能感受到歌词中蕴含的深厚情感。
Although I don't understand Chinese, I can feel the profound emotions contained in the lyrics.
虽然 (suīrán) - although, 蕴含 (yùnhán) - to contain, to embody
演唱会时，全场观众跟着歌手一起高声唱着熟悉的歌词。
During the concert, the entire audience sang familiar lyrics loudly with the singer.
高声 (gāoshēng) - loudly, 跟着 (gēnzhe) - to follow
这首民谣的歌词简单而真挚，很容易引起人们的共鸣。
The lyrics of this folk song are simple and sincere, easily resonating with people.
真挚 (zhēnzhì) - sincere, 共鸣 (gòngmíng) - resonance, to resonate
为了更好地理解歌曲的内涵，我仔细查阅了歌词的背景资料。
In order to better understand the song's connotation, I carefully consulted the background information of the lyrics.
内涵 (nèihán) - connotation, background information (资料 - zīliào)
他的歌词总是充满了对社会现象的深刻反思和批判。
His lyrics are always full of deep reflection and critique of social phenomena.
深刻 (shēnkè) - profound, 反思 (fǎnsī) - to reflect, 批判 (pīpàn) - to criticize
这首老歌之所以经典，很大一部分原因在于其隽永的歌词。
The reason this old song is a classic is largely due to its timeless lyrics.
之所以...在于 (zhīsuǒyǐ...zàiyú) - the reason...lies in, 隽永 (juànyǒng) - timeless, everlasting
Wird oft verwechselt mit
This means 'song' as a whole. Remember, 歌詞 are just the words, 歌曲 is the entire musical piece.
This is a 'poem'. While poems can be sung, '詩' generally refers to a standalone poetic work, not necessarily lyrics.
As a standalone character, '詞' can refer to a classical poetic form (宋詞 - Song Dynasty lyric poetry) or just 'word'. When it's part of '歌詞', it means the words of a song. Be careful with context!
Grammatikmuster
Leicht verwechselbar
Often confused with '歌曲 (gēqǔ)' which means 'song'. While related, '歌词' refers specifically to the words of a song.
歌詞 are the words, 歌曲 is the entire song.
這首歌的歌詞很有意義。(Zhè shǒu gē de gēcí hěn yǒu yìyì.) - The lyrics of this song are very meaningful.
'詩歌' means 'poem' or 'verse'. Learners might confuse it with '歌詞' because both involve words set to a rhythm or used in an artistic way.
詩歌 is a poem, often not sung. 歌詞 are specifically the words of a song.
他喜歡讀唐詩宋詞。(Tā xǐhuān dú Táng shī Sòng cí.) - He likes to read Tang Dynasty poems and Song Dynasty lyrics (a classical form of poetry).
'詞彙' means 'vocabulary'. The character '詞' appears in both '歌詞' and '詞彙', leading to potential confusion for new learners.
詞彙 refers to a collection of words in a language. 歌詞 are the specific words of a song.
我的中文詞彙量還不夠。(Wǒ de Zhōngwén cíhuìliàng hái bù gòu.) - My Chinese vocabulary isn't large enough yet.
'段落' means 'paragraph' or 'section'. Sometimes learners might incorrectly use it to refer to a stanza of lyrics.
段落 is a paragraph in written text. A stanza of lyrics is usually referred to as 一段歌詞 (yī duàn gēcí) or a verse.
這篇文章有三個段落。(Zhè piān wénzhāng yǒu sān gè duànluò.) - This article has three paragraphs.
'文字' means 'written language' or 'characters'. It's a very general term for written words, and learners might mistakenly use it when they specifically mean lyrics.
文字 is the general term for written words. 歌詞 are the specific written words of a song.
這些文字很難讀懂。(Zhèxiē wénzì hěn nán dú dǒng.) - These words/characters are hard to understand.
Satzmuster
这首歌的歌词很有意义。
Zhè shǒu gē de gēcí hěn yǒu yìyì. (The lyrics of this song are very meaningful.)
我喜欢这首歌的旋律和歌词。
Wǒ xǐhuān zhè shǒu gē de xuánlǜ hé gēcí. (I like the melody and lyrics of this song.)
你能帮我翻译这首歌的歌词吗？
Nǐ néng bāng wǒ fānyì zhè shǒu gē de gēcí ma? (Can you help me translate the lyrics of this song?)
他写的歌词总是那么感人。
Tā xiě de gēcí zǒng shì nàme gǎnrén. (The lyrics he writes are always so touching.)
这些歌词表达了我的心声。
Zhèxiē gēcí biǎodále wǒ de xīnshēng. (These lyrics express my inner feelings.)
学习中文歌曲的歌词可以帮助你提高听力。
Xuéxí Zhōngwén gēqǔ de gēcí kěyǐ bāngzhù nǐ tígāo tīnglì. (Learning the lyrics of Chinese songs can help you improve your listening skills.)
这首诗被改编成了歌词，传唱度很高。
Zhè shǒu shī bèi gǎibiān chéngle gēcí, chuánchàng dù hěn gāo. (This poem was adapted into lyrics and is very popular.)
分析一首歌的歌词可以更好地理解其文化背景。
Fēnxī yī shǒu gē de gēcí kěyǐ gèng hǎo de lǐjiě qí wénhuà bèijǐng. (Analyzing the lyrics of a song can better understand its cultural background.)
Teste dich selbst 18 Fragen
Write a short sentence using 歌词 (gēcí) to describe what you like about a song.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
我喜欢这首歌的歌词。 (I like the lyrics of this song.)
Imagine you are learning a new Chinese song. Write a sentence saying you want to read its lyrics.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
我想看这首歌的歌词。 (I want to see the lyrics of this song.)
You are at a concert and the singer is amazing. Write a sentence saying the lyrics are very good.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
这首歌的歌词非常好。 (The lyrics of this song are very good.)
根据这段文字，说话者喜欢这首歌的什么？ (According to this text, what does the speaker like about this song?)
Read this passage:
这首歌很好听。我喜欢它的歌词。你呢？ (This song sounds good. I like its lyrics. How about you?)
根据这段文字，说话者喜欢这首歌的什么？ (According to this text, what does the speaker like about this song?)
文章中直接说 '我喜欢它的歌词' (I like its lyrics)。
文章中直接说 '我喜欢它的歌词' (I like its lyrics)。
小明为什么需要看歌词？ (Why does Xiao Ming need to look at the lyrics?)
Read this passage:
小明正在学一首新歌。他需要知道歌词的意思。 (Xiao Ming is learning a new song. He needs to know the meaning of the lyrics.)
小明为什么需要看歌词？ (Why does Xiao Ming need to look at the lyrics?)
文章中明确提到 '他需要知道歌词的意思' (He needs to know the meaning of the lyrics)。
文章中明确提到 '他需要知道歌词的意思' (He needs to know the meaning of the lyrics)。
老师建议我们怎么学中文？ (How does the teacher suggest we learn Chinese?)
Read this passage:
老师说，学中文歌可以帮助你学习中文。听歌词，然后跟着唱。 (The teacher said that learning Chinese songs can help you learn Chinese. Listen to the lyrics, then sing along.)
老师建议我们怎么学中文？ (How does the teacher suggest we learn Chinese?)
文章中提到 '听歌词，然后跟着唱' (Listen to the lyrics, then sing along)。
文章中提到 '听歌词，然后跟着唱' (Listen to the lyrics, then sing along)。
这首歌的___很有意义。
The sentence talks about the meaning of a song's 'lyrics'.
他写了一首新歌，但是___还没完成。
The sentence implies that the 'lyrics' are the missing part of the new song.
我喜欢这首歌的___，它们很诗意。
The word 'poetic' directly relates to the 'lyrics' of a song.
请你把这首歌的___写下来，我想学唱。
To learn a song, one typically needs the 'lyrics' written down.
这首歌的___很简单，很容易记住。
Something that is 'easy to remember' in a song is usually its 'lyrics'.
我听不懂这首歌的___，因为它是用另一种语言唱的。
Not understanding a song in another language usually refers to not understanding its 'lyrics'.
Choose the most appropriate word to complete the sentence: “这首歌的___写得非常感人，每次听都让我热泪盈眶。”
The sentence talks about something written that is moving and brings tears to the eyes. '歌词' (lyrics) fits this context perfectly, as lyrics are written words that convey emotion. '旋律' (melody), '节奏' (rhythm), and '曲调' (tune) refer to musical aspects, not written words.
When discussing the poetry embedded within a song, which term would you most likely use? “这部作品的___富有诗意，读来令人回味无穷。”
The question refers to the 'poetry embedded within a song' and something that is '富有诗意' (poetic). '歌词' (lyrics) are the written words of a song, which can indeed be poetic. '背景' (background), '主题' (theme), and '表演' (performance) do not specifically refer to the poetic text of a song.
Select the best option to complete the sentence: “他不仅擅长作曲，还亲自为自己的每一首歌填写了___，展现了其全面的音乐才华。”
The sentence states that the person '亲自为自己的每一首歌填写了...' (personally filled in for each of their songs). '填写歌词' (to write lyrics) is a common collocation describing the act of creating the words for a song. '和弦' (chords), '配乐' (soundtrack/accompaniment), and '编曲' (arrangement) refer to other musical elements.
If someone says '这首歌的歌词很复杂，充满了隐喻和象征意义', they are likely referring to the musical arrangement of the song.
The statement describes the complexity of '歌词' (lyrics) and mentions '隐喻和象征意义' (metaphors and symbolic meaning). These are characteristics of written text, not a musical arrangement. The musical arrangement refers to how the instruments and vocals are organized.
Learning '歌词' of a Chinese song can be an effective way to improve one's vocabulary and understanding of cultural expressions.
This statement is true. Song lyrics often contain colloquialisms, poetic language, and cultural references, which can significantly enrich a learner's vocabulary and cultural understanding.
The term '歌词' exclusively refers to the vocal melodies of a song, without any written component.
'歌词' specifically refers to the written words or text of a song. While it is meant to be sung, its primary definition is the verbal content, not the vocal melody itself.
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Perfect score!
Summary
歌词 means 'lyrics,' which are the words to a song.
- song words
- lyrics of a song
- text for singing
Beispiel
我喜欢这首歌的歌词。
