爵士

• Pinyin: jué shì
• Hanzi breakdown: 爵 = pictograph of an ancient wine vessel, later meaning noble rank; 士 = pictograph of an axe, meaning scholar or gentleman

Meaning

Jazz (music); knight/baronet (British noble title); sir (honorific).

Has two distinct meanings: 1) Jazz music (爵士乐), a transliteration from English. Used for the genre, jazz clubs, jazz musicians, etc. 2) A British noble title (Sir), historically granted to knights and baronets. In modern usage, refers to those knighted by the British monarch (如 爵士乐队, 爵士酒吧 for music; 封为爵士 for the title).

Examples

1. 周末我常去那家爵士酒吧听现场演奏，氛围特别好。 On weekends I often go to that jazz bar to listen to live performances — the atmosphere is really great.
2. 他被英国女王封为爵士，以表彰他对音乐事业的杰出贡献。 He was knighted by the Queen of England in recognition of his outstanding contribution to music.
3. 上海的老式洋房里传出悠扬的爵士乐，让人仿佛回到了三十年代。 Melodious jazz music drifted out from the old Western-style houses in Shanghai, as if taking you back to the 1930s.

Usage Guide

Context: music, entertainment, British culture, honorifics

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 你喜欢听爵士乐吗？(Do you like listening to jazz?)
• 保罗·麦卡特尼在1997年被封为爵士。(Paul McCartney was knighted in 1997.)

Don't Say

• 他是一个爵士。(Incomplete — specify 爵士乐手 for a jazz musician, or use 被封为爵士 when referring to the title)

Origin & History

For jazz: phonetic transliteration of English 'jazz.' For the title: 爵 (noble rank, vessel) + 士 (scholar, gentleman) — a translation of European noble titles since the late Qing dynasty.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal