小提琴
xiǎotíqín
The English word violin is 小提琴 (xiǎotíqín) in Chinese. Wiktionary also lists 梵啞鈴 / 梵哑铃 (fànyǎlíng).
Meaning: string instrument (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 小提琴 | xiǎotíqín |
| 梵啞鈴 / 梵哑铃 | fànyǎlíng |
The word refers to the string instrument known as the violin. When describing the act of playing the violin, Chinese speakers use the verb 拉, which is specifically used for instruments that require a bow.
Which one should you use?
小提琴 refers specifically to the violin, whereas 提琴 is a more general term used for many different types of bowed string instruments.
How do you pronounce it?
xiǎotíqín
Did you know?
- The character 提 in 小提琴 literally means 'to lift' or 'to hold up', describing the way the instrument is held against the shoulder.
- In some dialects, the word for violin is written as 梵啞鈴. This is a phonetic transcription of the English word 'violin' adapted into Chinese characters through regional pronunciation, specifically in Shanghainese.
- The character 琴 originally referred to the ancient Chinese zither, and its use in 小提琴 shows how old terminology was adapted for foreign instruments.
Examples in context
- 汤姆拉小提琴。Tom played the violin.This sentence is useful for showing how to use 小提琴 with a subject and a verb.Tatoeba #6822757 by basilhan, translation #3403374 by CK
- 让我拿一下我的小提琴。Let me get my violin.This sentence is useful for expressing the need to retrieve one's 小提琴.Tatoeba #8589628 by tianblr, translation #3403373 by CK
- 我拉小提琴。I play the violin.This sentence is useful for stating that one plays the 小提琴.Tatoeba #711635 by sysko, translation #362737 by blay_paul
- 17 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about music at a music school.
- 俊杰 Junjie晓雯，你在学什么乐器？Xiǎowén, nǐ zài xué shénme yuèqì?Xiaowen, what instrument are you learning?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我正在学小提琴。wǒ zhèngzài xué xiǎotíqín.I am learning the violin.
- 俊杰 Junjie小提琴很好听。xiǎotíqín hěn hǎotīng.The violin sounds beautiful.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen谢谢，我也很喜欢它。xièxiè, wǒ yě hěn xǐhuān tā.Thank you, I like it very much too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “violin” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 梵啞鈴, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
