鼓
gǔ
The English word 'drums' is translated into Chinese as 鼓 (gǔ).
鼓 refers to musical instruments played by hitting a stretched membrane with sticks or hands. To express the action of playing the drums, you can use the verb 打 (dǎ), meaning 'to hit', combined with the noun to form the phrase 打鼓.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can create a word for the sound produced by drums by adding the suffix 声 (shēng), meaning 'sound', to the noun to get 鼓声.
How do you pronounce it?
gǔ
Did you know?
- In ancient Chinese, the character for 'blind man' or 'musician', 瞽, is actually a derivative of the word for drum. This linguistic link highlights the historical connection between music and those who lived by ear.
- The term 鼓 is used to describe the 'eardrum' in Chinese, as the anatomical part is envisioned as a tiny drum inside the head.
- The word 鼓 can be used in idioms to mean 'encouraging' someone, as in 'beating a drum' to stir up enthusiasm.
Examples in context
- 湯姆會打邦哥鼓。Tom plays the bongo drums.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use 鼓 in a sentence about playing instruments.Tatoeba #13860137 by LeviHighway, translation #10000912 by Hybrid
- 我对中国传统音乐非常感兴趣，尤其是各种鼓的演奏。I am very interested in traditional Chinese music, especially the performance of various drums.
- 他在练习打鼓。Tā zài liànxí dǎgǔ.He is practicing playing the drums.
- 这里的鼓声音很大。Zhèlǐ de gǔ shēngyīn hěn dà.The sound of the drums here is very loud.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their hobbies.
- 志强 Zhiqiang志强，你喜歡什麼樂器？Zhìqiáng, nǐ xǐhuān shénme yuèqì?Zhiqiang, what musical instrument do you like?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我最喜歡打鼓。Wǒ zuì xǐhuān dǎ gǔ.I like playing the drums the most.
- 志强 Zhiqiang你學習打鼓多久了？Nǐ xuéxí dǎ gǔ duōjiǔ le?How long have you been learning the drums?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我學了三年了，晓雯。Wǒ xuéle sān nián le, Xiǎowén.I have learned for three years, Xiaowen.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 鼓, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
