摇滚

• Pinyin: yáo gǔn
• Hanzi breakdown: 摇 = 扌(hand) + 䍃 (phonetic — to shake, rock); 滚 = 氵(water) + 衮 (a rolling motion — to roll or tumble)

Meaning

Rock (music); rock and roll. A genre of popular music originating in the 1950s, characterised by a strong beat, electric guitars, and often rebellious or expressive lyrics.

摇滚乐 (rock music) entered China in the 1980s and became culturally significant in the late 1980s–1990s with artists like 崔健 (Cui Jian), who wrote songs intertwined with post-Cultural Revolution identity and social change. Chinese rock (中国摇滚) carries a strong counter-cultural legacy. 摇滚乐队 (rock band), 重金属摇滚 (heavy metal), 朋克摇滚 (punk rock).

Examples

1. 崔健被誉为中国摇滚乐之父，他在八十年代创作的歌曲深刻反映了那个时代年轻人对自由与理想的强烈渴望与追求。 Cui Jian is hailed as the father of Chinese rock; the songs he wrote in the 1980s profoundly reflected young people’s intense longing and pursuit of freedom and ideals in that era.
2. 演唱会现场的气氛被摇滚乐队一首接一首的激烈演奏推向高潮，数万名观众挥舞着双臂随着节奏一起大声呐喊。 The concert atmosphere was driven to a peak by the rock band’s intense performance, song after song; tens of thousands of fans waved their arms and shouted along with the beat.
3. 尽管流行音乐长期占据市场主流，摇滚在中国始终保有一批忠实的拥趸，这批乐迷对音乐的热情和执着令人动容。 Even though pop music has long dominated the mainstream market, rock in China has always retained a loyal following, and these fans’ passion and devotion are truly moving.

Usage Guide

Context: music, culture, youth, history

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 中国摇滚在八九十年代经历了一段黄金发展期，涌现出一大批极具个人风格的乐队和创作人，他们的作品至今仍被无数乐迷奉为经典。(Chinese rock music experienced a golden era of development in the 1980s and 90s, producing a large number of bands and songwriters with strong individual styles whose work is still regarded as classics by countless fans today.)
• 他从小热爱摇滚乐，大学时组建了自己的乐队，利用课余时间勤加练习，立志将来能够登上更大的舞台演出。(He has loved rock music since childhood; at university he formed his own band and practised diligently in his free time, determined to one day perform on a bigger stage.)

Don't Say

• 摇滚很吵 — while rock music can be loud, describing it simply as 很吵 (very noisy) comes across as dismissive; for discussing its energy say 摇滚很有感染力 (rock music is very infectious/energetic) or 摇滚节奏强烈 (rock has a powerful beat)

Origin & History

摇 (to shake/rock — the rocking motion of the music) + 滚 (to roll — the rolling beat and rhythm); a phonetic translation that also captures the physical energy of the genre

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Youth/Adults

Social background: Universal