歌

See also: 欨

歌 U+6B4C, 歌 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-6B4C ← 歋 [U+6B4B] CJK Unified Ideographs 歍 → [U+6B4D]

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

歌 (Kangxi radical 76, 欠+10, 14 strokes, cangjie input 一口弓人 (MRNO) or 難一口弓人 (XMRNO), four-corner 1768₂, composition ⿰哥欠)

Derived characters

• 𫉸

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 571, character 7
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 16167
• Dae Jaweon: page 959, character 6
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 3, page 2147, character 12
• Unihan data for U+6B4C

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Chinese

simp. and trad.		歌
alternative forms		謌／𬤐 哥 𡃭 𣤑 𣤒

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 歌
Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (可) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
砢	*ɡ·raːlʔ
柯	*kaːl
菏	*kaːl, *ɡaːl
牁	*kaːl
滒	*kaːl
哥	*kaːl
歌	*kaːl
謌	*kaːl
鴚	*kaːl
哿	*kaːlʔ
舸	*kaːlʔ
笴	*kaːlʔ, *kaːnʔ
軻	*kʰaːl, *kʰaːlʔ, *kʰaːls
珂	*kʰaːl
可	*kʰaːlʔ
岢	*kʰaːlʔ
坷	*kʰaːlʔ, *kʰaːls
蚵	*kʰaːls, *ɡaːl
呵	*qʰaːl, *qʰaːls
訶	*qʰaːl
抲	*qʰaːl
荷	*qʰaːls, *ɡaːl, *ɡaːlʔ
何	*ɡaːl, *ɡaːlʔ
河	*ɡaːl
苛	*ɡaːl
魺	*ɡaːl
袔	*ɡaːls
阿	*qaːl
妸	*qaːl, *qaːlʔ
疴	*qaːl, *kʰraːls
鈳	*qaːl
娿	*qaːl, *qaːlʔ
痾	*qaːl
跒	*kʰraːlʔ
閜	*qʰraːlʔ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kaːl) : phonetic 哥 (OC *kaːl) + semantic 欠 (“blow”). Specialized form of 哥 (OC *kaːl, “to sing”).

Etymology

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *gaːr ~ *ga (“to dance; to sing; to leap; to stride”). Cognate with Burmese က (ka., “to dance”).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): gē (ge¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄍㄜ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): go¹

  (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): гә (gə, I)

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): go¹

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): go⁴ / go^4* / go¹

• Gan (Wiktionary): go¹
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): kô

  (Meixian, Guangdong): go¹

• Jin (Wiktionary): ge¹
• Northern Min (KCR): gó̤
• Eastern Min (BUC): gŏ̤
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): koa / ko / ko͘

  (Teochew, Peng'im): gua¹ / go¹

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ¹ku
• Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): go¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: gē
    • Zhuyin: ㄍㄜ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: ge
    • Wade–Giles: ko¹
    • Yale: gē
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ge
    • Palladius: гэ (gɛ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɤ⁵⁵/
      
  • (Standard Chinese, erhua-ed) (歌兒／歌儿)
    • Hanyu Pinyin: gēr
    • Zhuyin: ㄍㄜㄦ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: ger
    • Wade–Giles: ko¹-ʼrh
    • Yale: gēr
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ge'l
    • Palladius: гэр (gɛr)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɤɻ⁵⁵/
    • Homophones:

      [Show/Hide]
      edit edit 哥兒／哥儿 歌兒／歌儿

  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: go¹
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: go
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ko⁵⁵/
  • (Dungan)
    • Cyrillic and Wiktionary: гә (gə, I)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kə²⁴/

    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: go¹
    • Yale: gō
    • Cantonese Pinyin: go¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: go¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɔː⁵⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: go⁴ / go^4* / go¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kᵘɔ²¹/, /kᵘɔ²¹⁻²¹⁵/, /kᵘɔ³³/

Note:

• go4* - standalone or as the head of a compound;
• go1 - variant for verb.

• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: go¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ko⁴²/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: kô
    • Hakka Romanization System: go^ˊ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: go¹
    • Sinological IPA: /ko²⁴/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: go¹
    • Sinological IPA: /ko⁴⁴/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: ge¹
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /kɤ¹¹/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: gó̤
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɔ⁵⁴/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: gŏ̤
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ko⁵⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: koa
    • Tâi-lô: kua
    • Phofsit Daibuun: koaf
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /kua⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /kua³³/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ko
    • Tâi-lô: ko
    • Phofsit Daibuun: koy
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /kɤ⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /ko³³/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei): /ko⁴⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ko͘
    • Tâi-lô: koo
    • Phofsit Daibuun: kof
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /kɔ³³/

Note:

• koa - vernacular;
• ko, ko͘ - literary.

• (Teochew)
  • Peng'im: gua¹ / go¹
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: kua / ko
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kua³³/, /ko³³/

Note:

• gua1 - vernacular;
• go1 - literary.

• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ¹ku
    • MiniDict: ku^平
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹ku
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /ku⁵³/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: go¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ko³³/

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• Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 歌
Mandarin	Beijing	/kɤ⁵⁵/
	Harbin	/kɤ⁴⁴/
	Tianjin	/kɤ²¹/
	Jinan	/kə²¹³/
	Qingdao	/kə²¹³/ 新 /kuə²¹³/ 老
	Zhengzhou	/kɤ²⁴/
	Xi'an	/kɤ²¹/
	Xining	/kɔ⁴⁴/
	Yinchuan	/kə⁴⁴/
	Lanzhou	/kə³¹/
	Ürümqi	/kɤ⁴⁴/
	Wuhan	/kuo⁵⁵/
	Chengdu	/ko⁵⁵/
	Guiyang	/ko⁵⁵/
	Kunming	/ko⁴⁴/
	Nanjing	/ko³¹/
	Hefei	/kʊ²¹/
Jin	Taiyuan	/kɤ¹¹/
	Pingyao	/kɔ¹³/
	Hohhot	/kɤ³¹/
Wu	Shanghai	/ku⁵³/
	Suzhou	/kəu⁵⁵/
	Hangzhou	/ko³³/
	Wenzhou	/ku³³/
Hui	Shexian	/ko³¹/
	Tunxi	/ko¹¹/
Xiang	Changsha	/ko³³/
	Xiangtan	/ko³³/
Gan	Nanchang	/ko⁴²/
Hakka	Meixian	/ko⁴⁴/
	Taoyuan	/ko²⁴/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/kɔ⁵³/
	Nanning	/kɔ⁵⁵/
	Hong Kong	/kɔ⁵⁵/
Min	Xiamen (Hokkien)	/ko⁵⁵/ /kua⁵⁵/
	Fuzhou (Eastern Min)	/ko⁴⁴/
	Jian'ou (Northern Min)	/kɔ⁵⁴/
	Shantou (Teochew)	/ko³³/ /kua³³/
	Haikou (Hainanese)	/ko²³/ /kua²³/

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• Middle Chinese: ka

Rime
Character	歌
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	見 (28)
Final (韻)	歌 (94)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	古俄切
Baxter	ka
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kɑ/
Pan Wuyun	/kɑ/
Shao Rongfen	/kɑ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ka/
Li Rong	/kɑ/
Wang Li	/kɑ/
Bernard Karlgren	/kɑ/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	gē
Expected Cantonese Reflex	go1

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[k]ˤaj/

  (Zhengzhang): /*kaːl/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	歌
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	gē
Middle Chinese	‹ ka ›
Old Chinese	/*[k]ˁaj/
English	sing, song
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	歌
Reading #	1/1
No.	7438
Phonetic component	可
Rime group	歌
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	歌
Old Chinese	/*kaːl/

Definitions

(deprecated template usage) 歌

1. to sing; to chant

   高歌  ―  gāogē  ―  to sing loudly

   • 心之憂矣，我歌且謠。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     心之忧矣，我歌且谣。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Xīn zhī yōu yǐ, wǒ gē qiě yáo. [Pinyin]

     My heart is grieved, and I chant and sing.

   • 與君歌一曲，請君爲我側耳聽。 [MSC, trad.]
     与君歌一曲，请君为我侧耳听。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 752, Li Bai, 《將進酒》

     Yǔ jūn gē yī qū, qǐng jūn wèi wǒ cè'ěr tīng. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   • 明明未在座　都給缺席的這個你遙遠地歌 [Literary Cantonese, trad.]
     明明未在座　都给缺席的这个你遥远地歌 [Literary Cantonese, simp.]

     From: 2022, 馮允謙 [Jay Fung], lyrics by 黃偉文 [Wyman Wong], 給缺席的人唱首歌 [Song for the Absentees]

     ming⁴ ming⁴ mei⁶ zoi⁶ zo⁶, dou¹ kap¹ kyut³ zik⁶ dik¹ ze³ go³ nei⁵ jiu⁴ jyun⁵ dei⁶ go¹ [Jyutping]

     Clearly not present, but [I] still sing for you, this absentee, from a distance

2. song; tune (Classifier: 首; 支; 隻／只 c; 條／条 h mn; 塊／块 mn; 闋／阕)

   歌曲  ―  gēqǔ  ―  song

   民歌  ―  míngē  ―  folk song

   • 跛：這條歌真有意思。 [Hokkien, trad.]
     跛：这条歌真有意思。 [Hokkien, simp.]

     From: Chiok Sèng-tàn Ke̍k 祝聖誕劇, part 1, in 台語文數位典藏資料庫 [Digital Archive Database for Written Taiwanese]

     Pái: Chit tiâu koa chin ū ì-sù. [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]

     Cripple: This song is really interesting.

3. to praise

   • 求能讓我歌…一生一世未夠！ [Literary Cantonese, trad.]
     求能让我歌…一生一世未够！ [Literary Cantonese, simp.]

     From: 2015, 陳明恩 [Corinna Chamberlain], lyrics by 西伯, 誰被祢揀選

     kau⁴ nang⁴ joeng⁶ ngo⁵ go¹... jat¹ sang¹ jat¹ sai³ mei⁶ gau³! [Jyutping]

     I ask that You may allow me to praise You... my whole life would not be enough!

References

• “歌”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[1], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

(deprecated template usage)

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Japanese

Kanji

歌

(Second grade kyōiku kanji)

Readings

• Go-on: か (ka, Jōyō)
• Kan-on: か (ka, Jōyō)
• Kun: うたう (utau, 歌う, Jōyō)^{←うたふ (utafu, 歌ふ, historical)}、うた (uta, 歌, Jōyō)

Compounds

Compounds

• 雅歌(がか) (gaka, “elegant song”)
• 雅歌(がか) (Gaka, “Song of Songs”)
• 歌曲(かきょく) (kakyoku)
• 歌劇(かげき) (kageki)
• 歌詞(かし) (kashi)
• 歌手(かしゅ) (kashu)
• 歌集(かしゅう) (kashū)
• 歌唱(かしょう) (kashō)
• 歌舞伎(かぶき) (kabuki): kabuki
• 歌謡(かよう) (kayō)
• 歌会(うたかい) (utakai)
• 歌枕(うたまくら) (utamakura)
• 詩歌(しいか) (shīka)
• 賛歌(さんか) (sanka)
• 讃歌(さんか) (sanka)
• 賛美歌(さんびか) (sanbika)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
歌
うた Grade: 2
kun'yomi

Alternative spellings
唄 詩 謳

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *uta.

Noun

歌(うた) • (uta) 

1. (music) a song

   氷(こおり)と炎(ほのお)の歌(うた)

   Kōri to Honō no Uta

   A Song of Ice and Fire

2. (poetry) poetry

Usage notes

• Despite 歌, 唄, and 詩 having the same kun-yomi reading of uta: 詩 refers to modern poetry, 歌 to songs and classical Japanese poetry (such as tanka), and 唄 is primarily used in shamisen songs.

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
歌
か Grade: 2
on'yomi

Affix

歌(か) • (ka) 

1. a song; to sing
2. Japanese poetry; waka

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Korean

Hanja

歌 (eumhun 노래 가 (norae ga))

1. hanja form^? of 가 (“to sing, song”)

Compounds

Compounds

• 가창 (歌唱, gachang)
• 가수 (歌手, gasu)
• 가사 (歌詞, gasa)
• 가성 (歌聲, gaseong)
• 가요 (歌謠, gayo)
• 가악 (歌樂, gaak)
• 가천 (歌天, gacheon)
• 가취 (歌吹, gachwi)
• 가패 (歌唄, gapae)
• 가희 (歌姬, gahui)
• 가인 (歌人, gain)
• 가비 (歌婢, gabi)
• 가단 (歌壇, gadan)
• 가극 (歌劇, gageuk)
• 가객 (歌客, gagaek)
• 가격 (歌格, gagyeok)
• 가경 (歌磬, gagyeong)
• 가곡 (歌曲, gagok)
• 가벽 (歌癖, gabyeok)
• 가의 (歌意, gaui)
• 가재 (歌才, gajae)
• 가관 (歌管, gagwan)
• 가무 (歌舞, gamu)

}}

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Kunigami

Kanji

歌

• Kun: ふた゚ー (futā)

Etymology

From Proto-Ryukyuan *Uta, from Proto-Japonic *Uta.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɸutˀaː/

Noun

歌 (hiragana ふた゚ー, romaji futā)

1. song

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Okinawan

Kanji

歌

(Second grade kyōiku kanji)

Readings

• Kun: うた (uta, 歌, Jōyō)

Etymology

Kanji in this term
歌
うた Grade: 2
kun'yomi

From Proto-Ryukyuan *Uta, from Proto-Japonic *Uta.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔuta/

Noun

歌(うた) (uta) 

1. song

References

• “ウタ” in Okinawa Center of Language Study, Shuri-Naha Dialect Dictionary (archived; reopens 2024).

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Vietnamese

Han character

歌: Hán Nôm readings: ca, cà, cao

1. chữ Hán form of ca (“to sing”).

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Yaeyama

Kanji

歌

• Kun: うた (uta)

Etymology

From Proto-Ryukyuan *Uta, from Proto-Japonic *Uta.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔuta/

Noun

歌 (hiragana うた, romaji uta)

1. song

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Yonaguni

Kanji

歌

• Kun: うた (uta)

Etymology

From Proto-Ryukyuan *Uta, from Proto-Japonic *Uta.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /uta/

Noun

歌 (hiragana うた, romaji uta)

1. song