唱歌

• Pinyin: chàng gē
• Hanzi breakdown: 唱 (sing) + 歌 (song) — to sing songs

Meaning

To sing; to sing songs. A verb-object compound for the activity of singing.

A separable verb-object compound (离合词). When adding modifiers, the object 歌 can be separated: 唱了一首歌 (sang a song), 唱中文歌 (sing Chinese songs). A very common leisure activity mentioned in daily conversation.

Examples

1. 我们一起唱歌吧。 Let's sing together.
2. 她喜欢唱歌。 She likes singing.
3. 他们在唱歌。 They're singing.

Usage Guide

Context: music, entertainment, everyday

Tone: lively

Do Say

• 你喜欢唱歌吗？(Do you like singing?)
• 我们去唱歌吧。(Let's go sing — often means karaoke.)

Don't Say

• 唱歌一首歌 (Redundant — say 唱一首歌, not 唱歌一首歌)

Origin & History

Compound of 唱 (sing) and 歌 (song). A natural verb-object pairing meaning 'to sing songs'. 歌 originally depicted a person singing with an open mouth.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal