音樂 / 音乐
yīnyuè
The English word "music" can be translated into Chinese as 音樂 / 音乐 (yīnyuè).
Meaning: sound, organized in time in a melodious way (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 音樂 / 音乐 | yīnyuè | |
| 音樂 / 音乐 | im-ga̍k | Hokkien |
The term refers to sound that is organized in time in a melodious way. The most common and widely understood term for music in Chinese is 音乐, and it can also be part of larger terms such as 音乐艺术, which translates to "musical art".
Which one should you use?
The phrase provided covers different linguistic forms: йинйүә is used in the Dungan language, while 音樂 / 音乐 is the Hokkien form.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form йинйүә is specific to the Dungan language. The form 音樂 / 音乐 is used in Hokkien.
How do you pronounce it?
im-ga̍k
Did you know?
- In traditional Chinese music theory, the concept of 音乐 is tied to the 'Five Elements' theory. Each note of the pentatonic scale is associated with a specific element, organ in the body and season of the year.
- The Dungan language uses йинйүә, which is written using the Cyrillic alphabet instead of Chinese characters. This is because the Dungan people are a Chinese-speaking group who migrated to Central Asia and adopted Russian script.
- The character 音 in 音乐 is a pictograph that originally depicted a mouth with a sound coming out of it. This visual root emphasizes that music was fundamentally seen as a human vocal expression.
Examples in context
- 我喜欢听音乐。I enjoy listening to music.
- 他在音乐艺术方面有很高的造诣。He has great accomplishments in the field of musical art.
- 我喜欢听音乐儿。I like listening to music.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “music” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
