How to Say "Songs" in Japanese

歌

[ɯ̟ta̠]

The Japanese word for "songs" is 歌.

Which one should you use?

While 歌 is the standard term for songs, 楽曲 is used specifically for musical compositions, often in professional or formal settings.

In Japanese, the word 歌 is used for both the singular "song" and the plural "songs".

The word 歌舞伎 'Kabuki' literally combines the characters for 'song', 'dance' and 'skill', showing that song is one of the three pillars of this famous theatre.
While 歌 refers to the song, Japanese has a specific term 合いの手 'ainote' for the rhythmic shouts or call-and-response interjections performed during a song.
In many classical Japanese poems, the word 歌 refers specifically to the poem itself rather than a melodic piece of music.

歌を書きます。
I write songs.
This sentence is useful for showing how to use 歌 when writing.
Tatoeba #13894077 by small_snow, translation #7956597 by AlanF_US
哀しい歌をよく聴くよ。
I often listen to sad songs.
This sentence is useful for expressing how one listens to 歌.
Tatoeba #10465273 by small_snow, translation #3938905 by Hybrid
歌もよくご存じでしたよ。
She knew a lot of songs, too.
This sentence is useful for describing someone's knowledge of 歌.
Tatoeba #12829700 by small_snow, translation #23922 by CH
ポップスの曲
Pop song
28 more sentences on Tatoeba

In a cafe, two friends are talking about music.

蓮 Ren

好きな歌はありますか？
Suki na uta wa arimasu ka?
Do you have any favorite songs?
美咲 Misaki

はい、この歌がとても好きです。
Hai, kono uta ga totemo suki desu.
Yes, I like this song very much.
蓮 Ren

美咲さんは、歌をよく聴きますね。
Misaki-san wa, uta o yoku kikimasu ne.
Misaki, you listen to songs often, don't you?
美咲 Misaki

はい、毎日聴いています。
Hai, mainichi kiite imasu.
Yes, I listen to them every day.

Sources

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