âm nhạc
[ʔəm˧˧ ɲaːk̚˧˨ʔ]
The English word 'music' is translated into Vietnamese as âm nhạc.
âm nhạc is used to describe music as an abstract art form or a general concept. In more casual or specific contexts, you may encounter the shortened form nhạc, which refers more directly to specific songs or musical pieces.
Meaning: sound, organized in time in a melodious way (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term âm nhạc is composed of âm, meaning sound and nhạc, meaning music or instrumental music.
Which one should you use?
âm nhạc is the standard term for music as an art form. In contrast, the shorter word nhạc is much more common in daily conversation when referring to actual songs or specific genres, often appearing as a prefix like nhạc trẻ (youth music) or nhạc pop (pop music).
Did you know?
- The character for nhạc (樂) is historically linked to the idea of 'joy' or 'pleasure', suggesting that music is inherently tied to happiness in its linguistic DNA.
- In 1651, the word for music was recorded in early dictionaries as mlạc, showing a distinct consonant cluster that has since disappeared.
- While âm usually means 'sound', it can also refer to the concept of 'yin' or 'shadow' in certain philosophical contexts, reflecting a duality in how sounds are perceived.
Examples in context
- Tom thích âm nhạc.Tom likes music.This sentence shows how to express a preference for âm nhạc.Tatoeba #13340943 by leucammieuvu, translation #5190912 by CK
- Tôi thích âm nhạc.I like music.Tatoeba #13608442 by leucammieuvu, translation #2318277 by CM
- Chúng tôi cần âm nhạc.We need music.This sentence shows the use of âm nhạc when expressing a need.Tatoeba #13769936 by leucammieuvu, translation #2241419 by CK
- Tôi thích nghe nhạc.I like listening to music.
- Tôi đã nghe bài hát mới của họ.I have listened to their new song.
- Tôi yêu âm thanh của nhạc rock.I love the sound of rock music.
- 20 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hung and Huong are talking about their hobbies.
- HùngHương có thích nghe âm nhạc không?Huong, do you like listening to music?
- HươngCó, tôi yêu âm nhạc từ nhỏ.Yes, I have loved music since I was small.
- HùngTôi cũng vậy, tôi thích âm nhạc cổ điển.Me too, I like classical music.
- HươngHùng thật là thú vị.Hung, you are really interesting.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “music” translations and entries âm nhạc, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nhạc, âm, âm nhạc, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
