鼓
gǔ
The English word drum is translated into Chinese as 鼓 (gǔ). Wiktionary also lists 堂鼓 (tánggǔ).
Meaning: musical instrument (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 鼓 | gǔ |
| 堂鼓 | tánggǔ |
鼓 is the most common and general term for a drum in Chinese. If you want to specifically refer to the action of beating or playing a drum, you can use the phrase 击鼓.
Which one should you use?
While 鼓 is the general term for any drum, 堂鼓 specifically refers to a large, traditional Chinese barrel drum.
How do you pronounce it?
gǔ
When do people say it?
In traditional Chinese culture, the drum 鼓 is often associated with festivals and celebrations.
Did you know?
- The Chinese word for 'encourage' 鼓励 contains the character 鼓 because it metaphorically means to 'beat the drum' to stir someone up.
- The character 瞽 meaning 'blind person' is a derivative of the word for 'drum' 鼓 because blind people were often professional musicians in ancient China.
- In ancient China, the drum 鼓 was used as a primary tool for military communication to signal retreats or attacks across vast battlefields.
Examples in context
- 吉姆喜欢打鼓。Jim likes to play the drum.This sentence shows how to express someone's interest in playing the drum using 鼓.Tatoeba #2192667 by linzilyu, translation #53308 by CN
- 鼓聲漸漸地消失。The drum faded away.This sentence uses 鼓 to describe the sound of a drum fading away.Tatoeba #1178248 by treskro3, translation #275020 by AlanF_US
- 我送了个长鼓给我父亲。I sent this drum to my father.This sentence uses 鼓 to describe sending a drum to someone.Tatoeba #804808 by fucongcong, translation #1159723 by tinytina
- 他用锤子敲打着大鼓。He is using a mallet to beat the bass drum.
- 他和朋友一起组成了一个击鼓乐队。He formed a drumming band with his friends.
- 小孩子们在玩闹中敲打着鼓子。The children are playing and beating the drums.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Wei is showing Yuting his new musical instrument.
- 雨婷 Yuting伟，这是什么？Wěi, zhè shì shénme?Wei, what is this?
- 伟 Wei这是我的新鼓。Zhè shì wǒ de xīn gǔ.This is my new drum.
- 雨婷 Yuting这个鼓真漂亮。Zhège gǔ zhēn piàoliang.This drum is really beautiful.
- 伟 Wei谢谢，我也很喜欢它。Xièxiè, wǒ yě hěn xǐhuān tā.Thanks, I like it a lot too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “drum” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 鼓, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
