响起

• Pinyin: xiǎng qǐ
• Hanzi breakdown: 响 = 口 + 乡 (mouth + echoing valley — resonating sound); 起 = 走 + 己 (to walk + self — to rise up, begin)

Meaning

To ring out; to sound; to begin sounding. Used when a sound suddenly or noticeably commences.

A versatile verb compound used across all types of sounds — alarms, music, applause, voices, bells. It emphasises the moment a sound begins or fills a space. Commonly used in narrative descriptions and broadcast language to create immediacy, as in concert reviews, news reports, and literary prose.

Examples

1. 会议室里突然响起了一阵急促的警报声，所有人立刻停下手头工作有序撤离。 A rapid alarm suddenly sounded in the conference room, and everyone immediately stopped what they were doing and evacuated in an orderly way.
2. 舞台上，钢琴家刚坐定，一曲优美的奏鸣曲便在大厅里悠然响起，令观众屏息凝神。 On stage, as soon as the pianist sat down, a beautiful sonata drifted through the hall, and the audience held its breath in rapt attention.
3. 颁奖典礼结束时，全场响起了经久不息的热烈掌声，向获奖者表达最崇高的敬意。 When the awards ceremony ended, the entire venue erupted in sustained, enthusiastic applause to express the highest respect for the winners.

Usage Guide

Context: events, music, narrative, daily life

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 讲座结束后，听众席上响起了一阵持久而热烈的掌声，经久不绝。(After the lecture concluded, a sustained and enthusiastic round of applause rang out from the audience, lasting a long time.)
• 清晨，悠扬的鸟鸣声在林间响起，宣告了新一天的到来。(In the early morning, melodious birdsong rang out through the forest, heralding the arrival of a new day.)

Don't Say

• 灯光响起了 — 响起 is used for sounds only, not light; for lights coming on use 亮起 instead

Origin & History

响 (sound/to ring) + 起 (to rise/begin) — for a sound to rise up and begin

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal