When you're learning Chinese, you'll find that many words are made up of two or more characters, each with its own meaning. Take 演唱会 (yǎn chàng huì) for example. It literally breaks down to 演 (yǎn), meaning 'to perform,' 唱 (chàng), meaning 'to sing,' and 会 (huì), which in this context means 'a gathering' or 'a meeting.'
So, when you put them all together, 演唱会 naturally means a 'singing performance gathering,' or what we simply call a concert in English. This pattern of combining characters to form new words is very common in Chinese, and understanding these individual character meanings can really help you guess the meaning of new words you encounter.
§ Understanding 演唱会 (yǎn chàng huì)
Let's get straight to it. When you hear 演唱会 (yǎn chàng huì), think 'concert' in the pop, rock, or idol sense. It's usually about a specific singer or group performing their songs. If you're going to see a famous singer like Jay Chou or a K-Pop group, you're going to a 演唱会.
- Chinese Word
- 演唱会 (yǎn chàng huì)
- Pinyin
- yǎn chàng huì
- English Definition
- Concert (typically pop, rock, or a single artist/group performing songs)
我买了周杰伦演唱会的票。
Wǒ mǎi le Zhōu Jiélún yǎn chàng huì de piào.
I bought tickets for Jay Chou's concert.
昨晚的演唱会太棒了！
Zuó wǎn de yǎn chàng huì tài bàng le!
Last night's concert was amazing!
§ Understanding 音乐会 (yīn yuè huì)
Now, let's look at 音乐会 (yīn yuè huì). While it also means 'concert,' this one has a broader and often more formal meaning. It usually refers to classical music concerts, orchestral performances, or instrumental recitals. Think symphony orchestras, piano recitals, or chamber music. If you're going to see a Beethoven symphony, you're going to a 音乐会.
- Chinese Word
- 音乐会 (yīn yuè huì)
- Pinyin
- yīn yuè huì
- English Definition
- Concert (typically classical music, orchestral, instrumental)
我喜欢听古典音乐会。
Wǒ xǐ huān tīng gǔ diǎn yīn yuè huì.
I like listening to classical concerts.
今晚有一场钢琴音乐会。
Jīn wǎn yǒu yī chǎng gāng qín yīn yuè huì.
There's a piano recital (literally: piano music concert) tonight.
§ Key Differences and When to Use Which
The main difference boils down to the type of performance and who is performing.
演唱会 (yǎn chàng huì): Focuses on *singing* performances. The character 唱 (chàng) means 'to sing.' So, if there's singing involved by a main artist or group, use 演唱会.
音乐会 (yīn yuè huì): Focuses on *music* performances. The character 音 (yīn) means 'sound' or 'music.' It's a broader term for any musical performance, but it leans heavily towards instrumental or classical. If it's a band playing without a main singer, or an orchestra, or someone playing an instrument solo, 音乐会 is more appropriate.
§ Practice Examples
Let's try some situations:
You want to go see your favorite rock band. Which word do you use? 演唱会 (yǎn chàng huì).
Your friend invited you to a symphony orchestra performance. Which word do you use? 音乐会 (yīn yuè huì).
You saw an ad for a famous pop singer's tour. Which word will be in the ad? 演唱会 (yǎn chàng huì).
You're talking about a school concert where students play different instruments. Which word is more suitable? 音乐会 (yīn yuè huì).
§ Common Phrases and Usage
Here are some common phrases using these words:
看演唱会 (kàn yǎn chàng huì): To watch a concert (pop/rock)
参加音乐会 (cān jiā yīn yuè huì): To attend a concert (classical/instrumental)
开演唱会 (kāi yǎn chàng huì): To hold a concert (a singer/group)
举办音乐会 (jǔ bàn yīn yuè huì): To organize a concert (an organization/venue)
While there's a clear distinction, in very casual conversation, some people might use 音乐会 as a general term for any musical performance. However, if you want to be precise and sound natural in Chinese, stick to the guidelines above. For pop or rock, it's almost always 演唱会. For classical or instrumental, it's 音乐会.
Examples by Level
我从来没有去过演唱会。
I have never been to a concert.
从来没有 (cónglái méiyǒu): never have; 过 (guò): used after a verb to indicate a past experience.
你喜欢听流行音乐演唱会还是摇滚乐演唱会？
Do you prefer pop music concerts or rock music concerts?
还是 (háishì): or (used in questions); 流行音乐 (liúxíng yīnyuè): pop music; 摇滚乐 (yáogǔnyuè): rock music.
下个月有一场很有名的歌手的演唱会。
There's a concert by a very famous singer next month.
下个月 (xià ge yuè): next month; 一场 (yī chǎng): a measure word for events like concerts; 很有名 (hěn yǒumíng): very famous; 歌手 (gēshǒu): singer.
我们一起去看演唱会好不好？
Shall we go to the concert together?
一起 (yīqǐ): together; 好不好 (hǎo bù hǎo): good or not good (a common way to ask for agreement).
演唱会的门票很难买到。
Concert tickets are hard to get.
门票 (ménpiào): ticket; 很难 (hěn nán): very difficult; 买到 (mǎi dào): to succeed in buying.
我为这次演唱会准备了很久。
I have been preparing for this concert for a long time.
为 (wèi): for; 准备 (zhǔnbèi): to prepare; 很久 (hěn jiǔ): for a long time.
演唱会的气氛非常热烈。
The atmosphere of the concert was very enthusiastic.
气氛 (qìfēn): atmosphere; 非常 (fēicháng): very; 热烈 (rèliè): enthusiastic, warm.
看完演唱会后，我们去吃了宵夜。
After the concert, we went to have a late-night snack.
看完 (kàn wán): after watching (used with 完 'wán' to indicate completion); 以后 (yǐhòu): after; 宵夜 (xiāoyè): late-night snack.
Grammar Patterns
Idioms & Expressions
"开演唱会"
to hold a concert
周杰伦今年要开演唱会。
neutral"演唱会门票"
concert ticket
我买到了演唱会门票！
neutral"演唱会现场"
concert venue/live concert
演唱会现场气氛很好。
neutral"个人演唱会"
solo concert
这是他的个人演唱会。
neutral"巡回演唱会"
touring concert
乐队正在进行世界巡回演唱会。
neutral"演唱会嘉宾"
concert guest (performer)
他将担任演唱会嘉宾。
neutral"演唱会舞台"
concert stage
演唱会舞台设计很棒。
neutral"演唱会歌单"
concert setlist
你喜欢今天的演唱会歌单吗？
neutral"演唱会效果"
concert effect/production
演唱会效果非常震撼。
neutral"看演唱会"
to attend/watch a concert
周末我们一起去看演唱会吧。
neutralSentence Patterns
我想去看 [演唱会]。 (Wǒ xiǎng qù kàn [yǎnchànghuì].)
我想去看周杰伦演唱会。 (Wǒ xiǎng qù kàn Zhōu Jiélún yǎnchànghuì.) - I want to go to Jay Chou's concert.
你喜欢听 [演唱会] 吗？ (Nǐ xǐhuān tīng [yǎnchànghuì] ma?)
你喜欢听流行音乐演唱会吗？ (Nǐ xǐhuān tīng liúxíng yīnyuè yǎnchànghuì ma?) - Do you like listening to pop music concerts?
[演唱会] 很好看/好听。 ([Yǎnchànghuì] hěn hǎokàn/hǎotīng.)
昨天的演唱会很好看。 (Zuótiān de yǎnchànghuì hěn hǎokàn.) - Yesterday's concert was very good (to watch).
我们去 [演唱会] 吧。 (Wǒmen qù [yǎnchànghuì] ba.)
我们去北京的演唱会吧。 (Wǒmen qù Běijīng de yǎnchànghuì ba.) - Let's go to the concert in Beijing.
[演唱会] 在哪里？ ([Yǎnchànghuì] zài nǎlǐ?)
演唱会在体育馆。 (Yǎnchànghuì zài tǐyùguǎn.) - The concert is at the stadium.
他/她要去 [演唱会]。 (Tā/Tā yào qù [yǎnchànghuì].)
她要去一个摇滚演唱会。 (Tā yào qù yī gè yáogǔn yǎnchànghuì.) - She is going to a rock concert.
我很期待 [演唱会]。 (Wǒ hěn qīdài [yǎnchànghuì].)
我很期待下个月的演唱会。 (Wǒ hěn qīdài xià gè yuè de yǎnchànghuì.) - I'm really looking forward to next month's concert.
[演唱会] 什么时候开始？ ([Yǎnchànghuì] shénme shíhou kāishǐ?)
演唱会晚上七点开始。 (Yǎnchànghuì wǎnshàng qī diǎn kāishǐ.) - The concert starts at 7 PM.
How to Use It
A 演唱会 (yǎn chàng huì) is specifically a concert, often for a single performer or band. 你喜欢去演唱会吗？ Do you like going to concerts?
Don't confuse 演唱会 (yǎn chàng huì) with 音乐会 (yīn yuè huì), which is a broader term for any musical performance, including classical concerts or recitals. While all 演唱会 are 音乐会, not all 音乐会 are 演唱会.
Test Yourself 36 questions
Which of these is a concert?
演唱会 (yǎn chàng huì) specifically refers to a concert where singers perform.
What would you usually do at a 演唱会?
Concerts are for listening to live music performances.
I want to go to a ______.
If you want to enjoy live music, you go to a concert.
演唱会 is a place to buy groceries.
演唱会 (yǎn chàng huì) is a concert, not a grocery store. You go there to listen to music.
You can hear people singing at a 演唱会.
演唱会 (yǎn chàng huì) is a concert, which features singing performances.
去演唱会 means 'to go to the park'.
去演唱会 (qù yǎn chàng huì) means 'to go to a concert'. 'To go to the park' is 去公园 (qù gōng yuán).
concert
concert
concert
Read this aloud:
我喜欢演唱会。
Focus: yǎn chàng huì
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
这个周末有演唱会吗？
Focus: zhè ge zhōu mò yǒu yǎn chàng huì ma?
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
我想去演唱会。
Focus: wǒ xiǎng qù yǎn chàng huì
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Choose the correct word to complete the sentence: 我想去听周杰伦的_______。
演唱会 (yǎnchànghuì) specifically refers to a pop or rock concert, usually by a single artist or band. 音乐会 (yīnyuèhuì) is a broader term for a musical concert, often classical. 歌剧 (gējù) is opera. 表演 (biǎoyǎn) is a performance in general.
Which sentence correctly uses '演唱会'?
演唱会 (yǎnchànghuì) is a place or event you 'listen to' (听 tīng) or 'go to' (去 qù). It's not something you 'read' (看 kàn), 'shop at' (商店 shāngdiàn), or 'eat' (好吃 hǎochī).
What is the English meaning of '演唱会'?
演唱会 (yǎnchànghuì) means concert.
你可以去演唱会看电影。
演唱会 (yǎnchànghuì) is a concert, not a cinema where you watch movies (看电影 kàn diànyǐng).
我很喜欢听演唱会，因为我可以听到我喜欢的歌手唱歌。
This sentence correctly uses 演唱会 (yǎnchànghuì) in the context of listening to a favorite singer perform.
他想买演唱会的票去旅行。
演唱会的票 (yǎnchànghuì de piào) are tickets for a concert, not for traveling (旅行 lǚxíng).
This sentence means 'I want to go to a concert.'
This sentence means 'She likes to listen to concerts.'
This sentence means 'They went to a concert last week.'
她想去看周杰伦的_____。
Context indicates a desire to see a musical performance by a famous singer, '演唱会' (concert) is the appropriate choice. '运动会' means sports meeting, '音乐课' means music class, and '研讨会' means seminar.
我们买到了下个月演唱会的_____。
To attend a concert, you need a '票' (ticket). The other options (book, clothes, food) are not necessary for attending a concert.
由于天气原因，原定今晚的_____被取消了。
The sentence describes an event being cancelled due to weather. Among the options, '演唱会' (concert) is a common event to be cancelled due to weather. '会议' (meeting), '考试' (exam), and '晚餐' (dinner) are less likely to be cancelled specifically due to weather in this context.
演唱会通常在安静的图书馆举行。
Concerts are usually held in venues like stadiums or concert halls, not quiet libraries, which are for reading and studying.
去看演唱会时，人们常常会一起唱歌和欢呼。
Attending a concert often involves audience participation, such as singing along and cheering, to show enjoyment and support for the performer.
所有的演唱会门票都是免费的。
Concert tickets are typically sold for a price, reflecting the cost of production and the artists' fees. Free concerts are exceptions, not the norm.
The concert was truly captivating, every note was full of power.
I queued for three hours just to get concert tickets, hoping it's worth it.
She dreams of holding her own concert in a stadium one day.
Read this aloud:
你对哪种类型的演唱会比较感兴趣，古典乐还是流行音乐？
Focus: 演唱会 (yǎn chàng huì)
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
上次去看演唱会，气氛特别热烈，全场观众都跟着一起唱。
Focus: 气氛 (qì fēn) 热烈 (rè liè)
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
如果给你一个机会，你最想去听谁的演唱会？为什么？
Focus: 机会 (jī huì) 为什么 (wèi shén me)
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
/ 36 correct
Perfect score!
Example
我买了两张演唱会门票。
