Anthem
Meaning: A song that represents a group, generation, or moment — a defining track that unites people.
Beyond national anthems, Americans use 'anthem' for any song that captures a mood, era, or identity. A 'summer anthem' is the defining song of that summer. A 'breakup anthem' captures post-relationship feelings. An anthem is a song everyone in a group knows and belts out together.
Examples
- That song was THE summer anthem that year. 那首歌是那年的夏日神曲。Esa canción fue EL himno del verano de aquel año.あの曲はあの年のサマーアンセムだった。그 노래는 그 해의 여름 앤섬이었다.
- That song became the anthem of the entire movement. 那首歌成了整个运动的主题曲。Esa canción se convirtió en el himno de todo el movimiento.あの曲はムーブメント全体のアンセムになった。그 노래는 운동 전체의 앤섬이 되었다.
- Every road trip needs a good anthem to blast with the windows down. 每次自驾游都需要一首开着窗户大声放的神曲。Todo viaje por carretera necesita un buen himno para ponerlo a tope con las ventanillas bajadas.ロードトリップには窓を開けて大音量で流すアンセムが必要だよ。로드트립에는 창문 내리고 크게 틀 앤섬이 필요하지.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: music discussion, cultural moments, parties
Tone: celebratory, nostalgic
✓ Do Say
- That's the anthem of our generation.那是我们这一代的神曲。Ese es el himno de nuestra generación.あれは俺たちの世代のアンセムだ。이건 우리 세대의 앤섬이야.
- This is the anthem of the summer.这是今年夏天的anthem。Este es el himno del verano.これは今年の夏のアンセムだ。이건 올여름 앤섬이야.
✗ Don't Say
- Don't use for obscure songs nobody knows — anthems are by definition widely known and shared不要用于没人知道的冷门歌——anthem从定义上就是广为人知、被大家共同传唱的No usar para canciones desconocidas que nadie conoce — los anthems son, por definición, ampliamente conocidos y compartidos誰も知らないマイナーな曲には使わないこと。アンセムは定義上、広く知られ共有されているもの。아무도 모르는 무명곡에는 사용하지 말 것——앤섬은 정의상 널리 알려지고 공유되는 노래이다
Origin & History
From the Greek 'antiphon' (a hymn sung in response). In American pop culture, the term broadened in the 1990s-2000s to describe any culturally significant or unifying song.
Cultural Context
Era: 1990s-2000s broadened use
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
More From This Topic
More from Music & Entertainment
Flashcards, quizzes, audio pronunciation & spaced repetition — all free