舞蹈家
wǔdǎojiā
The English word 'dancer' is translated into Chinese as 舞蹈家 (wǔdǎojiā). Wiktionary also lists 舞蹈演員 / 舞蹈演员 (wǔdǎo yǎnyuán) and 跳舞者 (tiàowǔzhě).
Meaning: person who dances (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 舞蹈家 | wǔdǎojiā |
| 舞蹈演員 / 舞蹈演员 | wǔdǎo yǎnyuán |
| 跳舞者 | tiàowǔzhě |
What does it mean word for word?
The term 舞蹈家 is composed of 舞蹈 (dance) and 家 (an expert or specialist in a field), literally meaning 'dance expert' or 'dance artist'.
Which one should you use?
舞蹈家 is used for highly skilled, professional dancers or artists, often implying a high level of mastery or a career in ballet or modern dance. In contrast, 舞蹈演员 refers more specifically to a dancer in the context of a performance or a troupe, emphasizing their role as an actor or performer.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
wǔdǎojiā
Did you know?
- The term 舞蹈 contains the character 舞, which is a pictograph that originally depicted a person wearing a feathered costume and dancing.
- The character 家 in 舞蹈家 usually means 'home' or 'family' but here it functions as a suffix for a master of an art. This is the same 家 used in words for 'scientist' 科学家 and 'philosopher' 哲学家.
- While English uses 'dancer' for everyone from a toddler to a professional, using 舞蹈家 for a non-professional would sound unintentionally sarcastic or overly grand in a Chinese conversation.
Examples in context
- 葵成為一個舞蹈家。Aoi became a dancer.This sentence is useful for showing how to use 舞蹈家 when describing someone's profession.Tatoeba #819467 by Martha, translation #28676 by CN
- 他是一位出色的舞蹈演员。He is an outstanding dancer.
- 我很喜欢观看舞蹈演员的演出。I really enjoy watching dancers perform.
- 他是一名优秀的舞者。He is an excellent dancer.
- 我跟他一起参加了舞者选拔赛。I participated in the dancer audition with him.
- 他是一位著名的舞蹈家。Tā shì yī wèi zhùmíng de wǔdǎojiā.He is a famous dancer.
- 我想成為一名專業的舞蹈家。Wǒ xiǎng chéngwéi yī míng zhuānyè de wǔdǎojiā.I want to become a professional dancer.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a performance they just watched.
- 雨婷 Yuting那个舞蹈家跳得太美了。Nàge wǔdǎojiā tiào de tài měi le.That dancer danced so beautifully.
- 俊杰 Junjie我也觉得她的动作很优雅。Wǒ yě juéde tā de dòngzuò hěn yōuyǎ.I also think her movements were very elegant.
- 雨婷 Yuting你觉得她练了多少年？Nǐ juéde tā liàn le duōshǎo nián?How many years do you think she practiced?
- 俊杰 Junjie大概需要十几年的努力吧。Dàgài xūyào shí jǐ nián de nǔlì ba.Probably took over ten years of hard work.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dancer” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
