唱片

• Pinyin: chàng piàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 唱 = 口 (mouth) + 昌 (prosperous, phonetic), meaning to sing; 片 = pictograph of a thin slice or piece

Meaning

Record; album. A music recording, originally referring to vinyl records but now used broadly for any music release.

While originally referring to physical vinyl records, 唱片 is now commonly used for music albums in general, including CDs and digital releases. 唱片公司 means record label. The word carries a slightly nostalgic or artistic tone in modern usage.

Examples

1. 她的新唱片上个月刚发行。 Her new album was just released last month.
2. 爷爷家里有很多老唱片。 Grandpa has many old records at home.
3. 这张唱片里的每首歌我都喜欢。 I like every song on this album.

Usage Guide

Context: music, entertainment, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 他出了一张新唱片。(He released a new album.)
• 这家唱片店很有名。(This record shop is very famous.)

Don't Say

• 我在手机上听唱片 (While understandable, for digital music streaming say 听歌 or 听音乐 — 唱片 implies a physical or formally released album)

Origin & History

唱 means to sing; 片 means disc or slice. Together they literally mean 'singing disc' — a disc that plays songs.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal