旋律
xuánlǜ
In Chinese, the English phrase 'melody' is expressed as 旋律 (xuánlǜ). If unsure, use 旋律. Wiktionary also lists 曲調 / 曲调 (qǔdiào) and 曲子 (qǔzi).
Meaning: sequence of notes that makes up a musical phrase (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 旋律 | xuánlǜ |
| 曲調 / 曲调 | qǔdiào |
| 曲子 | qǔzi |
| 歌曲 | gēqǔ |
The term refers to a sequence of notes that makes up a musical phrase.
Which one should you use?
While they all relate to music, they have distinct meanings. 旋律 refers specifically to the musical melody or the sequence of notes. In contrast, 曲子 refers more broadly to a tune or a piece of music. 歌曲 refers to a complete song, which usually includes lyrics, whereas 旋律 refers only to the melodic line. Finally, 曲调 can refer to the melody itself, but it is also frequently used to describe the 'tone' or 'style' of a piece of music.
How do you pronounce it?
xuánlǜ
Did you know?
- Traditional Chinese opera uses specific 曲牌, which are pre-existing melodic templates that songwriters plug lyrics into, rather than composing a new 旋律 from scratch.
- Traditional Chinese music is based on the 五聲 or five-tone scale, whereas Western melodies typically use a seven-note scale.
- The word 旋律 contains the character 旋, which means 'to spin' or 'to revolve'. This gives the word a sense of a melody 'circling' or 'twirling' through the air.
Examples in context
- 我知道这个旋律。I know this melody.This sentence is useful for expressing familiarity with a specific 旋律.Tatoeba #13971758 by jan_OkulaJu, translation #13156746 by Sifaks
- 我很喜欢这个旋律。I love this melody.This sentence is useful for expressing affection for a 旋律.Tatoeba #13971764 by jan_OkulaJu, translation #6691433 by Hybrid
- 多么美妙的旋律啊！What a beautiful melody!This sentence is useful for exclaiming about a beautiful 旋律.Tatoeba #13971851 by jan_OkulaJu, translation #10450452 by Adelpa
- 美妙的旋律Beautiful melody
- 这首歌的旋律很优美The melody of this song is very beautiful
- 这首歌的调调真好听The tunes of this song are really appealing
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are listening to a new song together.
- 浩然 Haoran你觉得这首歌的旋律怎么样？Nǐ juéde zhè shǒu gē de xuánlǜ zěnmeyàng?What do you think of the melody of this song?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我觉得这个旋律非常简单。Wǒ juéde zhège xuánlǜ fēicháng jiǎndān.I think this melody is very simple.
- 浩然 Haoran但它听起来很舒服。Dàn tā tīng qǐlái hěn shūfu.But it sounds very comfortable.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen没错，晓雯也很喜欢这个旋律。Méicuò, Xiǎowén yě hěn xǐhuān zhège xuánlǜ.That's true, Xiaowen likes this melody very much too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “melody” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
