歌

• Reading: うた
• Romaji: uta
• Kanji breakdown: 歌 (ka/uta) — song, to sing
• Pronunciation: /ɯ.ta/

Meaning

Song; singing; poem. Covers songs, the act of singing, and traditional Japanese poetry.

Covers both the concept of a song and the act of singing. The related verb is 歌う (utau, to sing). Can also refer to traditional Japanese poetry (和歌, waka). Karaoke culture makes this word especially relevant in Japan. Common expressions include 歌を歌う (to sing a song) and 歌手 (singer).

Examples

1. この歌はとても有名です。 This song is very famous.
2. カラオケで日本の歌を歌いました。 I sang Japanese songs at karaoke.
3. 子どもたちが楽しそうに歌を歌っています。 The children are happily singing a song.

Usage Guide

Context: music, karaoke, culture

Tone: warm

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 歌 combines 哥 (singing, a doubled mouth radical indicating repeated vocal sounds) with 欠 (to open the mouth), depicting the act of singing.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal