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咏 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
咏yǒngto sing, to hum, to chantHSK 6, n, 8 strokes, radical 口, rank #27740, Hard
yǒng(yong3) T3
  1. 1to sing, to hum, to chant
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March 24, 2026

咏(詠)yǒng(yong3)

The character '咏' (yǒng) refers to the act of singing, humming, or chanting, often in a poetic or artistic context. It is commonly used to describe reciting poetry or singing songs that convey deep emotions or themes. The character implies a melodic quality to the act of vocal expression.

Strokes8Radical口Frequency#27740DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

'咏' is frequently found in classical Chinese poetry, where poets would '咏' their feelings or surroundings, capturing the essence of nature and life in their verses. This practice reflects the high value placed on lyrical expression in Chinese culture.

Memory Tip

Imagine a singer (the 'yǒng') who is so passionate that their voice echoes through the mountains. The left side of the character, '口' (kǒu), means 'mouth,' emphasizing that this action involves vocalization. Picture the singer using their mouth to express beautiful melodies.

Meanings of 咏

yǒng(yong3)
1to sing, to hum, to chant
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 咏 means.

About 咏

咏Simplified
詠Traditional
8Strokes
口Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L6IntermediateCEFRC1

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Podcast: 咏

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AI Study Notes for 咏

Quick Contrast

吟 (yín) - use '咏' for singing or chanting in a poetic context, while '吟' emphasizes the act of reciting or murmuring verses with a reflective tone.

Usage Notes

The character '咏' is often used in literary contexts or when referring to traditional poetry. Be careful not to confuse it with '唱' (chàng), which is more general for 'to sing.' It is typically used in a formal or artistic register.

HSK Study Tips

Although '咏' is not an HSK vocabulary word, it connects to other HSK terms related to music and poetry, such as '歌' (gē, song) and '诗' (shī, poem). Focus on recognizing its use in poetic contexts as you encounter literature.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse '咏' with '唱' (chàng) and use it in casual contexts. For example, saying '我喜欢咏歌曲' (Wǒ xǐhuān yǒng gēqǔ) is incorrect; it should be '我喜欢唱歌曲' (Wǒ xǐhuān chàng gēqǔ), meaning 'I like to sing songs.'

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 咏

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Etymology of 咏

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 永 represents the sound. Simplified form of 詠.

Memory Hint

mouth

Semantic (meaning)口
+
Phonetic (sound)永
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

咏 = 口 + 永. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 咏

IDS Structure⿰口永
咏Full Character
=
口kou3
left
永yong3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 咏?

How to say to sing, to hum, to chant in Chinese

“to sing, to hum, to chant” in Chinese is咏yǒng

The character '咏' (yǒng) refers to the act of singing, humming, or chanting, often in a poetic or artistic context. It is commonly used to describe reciting poetry or singing songs that convey deep emotions or themes. The character implies a melodic quality to the act of vocal expression.

When to use 咏

The character '咏' is often used in literary contexts or when referring to traditional poetry. Be careful not to confuse it with '唱' (chàng), which is more general for 'to sing.' It is typically used in a formal or artistic register.

咏 or something close to it

吟 (yín) - use '咏' for singing or chanting in a poetic context, while '吟' emphasizes the act of reciting or murmuring verses with a reflective tone.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse '咏' with '唱' (chàng) and use it in casual contexts. For example, saying '我喜欢咏歌曲' (Wǒ xǐhuān yǒng gēqǔ) is incorrect; it should be '我喜欢唱歌曲' (Wǒ xǐhuān chàng gēqǔ), meaning 'I like to sing songs.'

Write 咏

咏

Practice writing 咏 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 咏

咏 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 1

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

知名 的有瑞云禅寺 、 水母庙 、 ____归亭 、 碧霞祠等.

There are well - known Ruiyun Temple, jellyfish Temple, Yong - owned kiosks, as Ha Temple.

Example Sentences for 咏 (1)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
知名 的有瑞云禅寺 、 水母庙 、 咏归亭 、 碧霞祠等.

zhī míng de yǒu ruì yún chán、 sì 、 shuǐ、 mǔ miào 、、 yǒng guī tíng 、.

There are well - known Ruiyun Temple, jellyfish Temple, Yong - owned kiosks, as Ha Temple.

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Word Family of 咏

Words Containing This Character6
咏yǒngto sing詠
歌咏gēyǒngsinging歌詠
谭咏麟Alan Tam (1950-), Hong Kong Canto-pop singer and actor譚詠麟
咏叹调aria詠嘆調
吟咏to recite吟詠
袁咏仪Anita Yuen (1971-), Hong Kong actress袁詠儀
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 咏

What does 歌咏 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 咏

While both mean 'to sing,' '咏' is used more in poetic contexts and implies a melodic or artistic quality, whereas '唱' is a more general term for singing.

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