What is the Kanji for "Song"?

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for "Song", you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for "Song" is "歌".

This kanji has 2 readings:

Its kunyomi reading is "Uta".

Its onyomi reading is "Ka".

kunyomi readings are based on the pronunciation of native Japanese words, and onyomi readings are based on the Chinese pronunciation of the character.

If you visually breakdown this kanji, you can see is made up of 2 parts:

The kanji "可" means "Possible" and can be read as "Ka". And The kanji "欠" means "Lack" and can be read as "Ka" and "Ketsu".

Now, let's make sure you understand this kanji the other way around too.

What does the kanji "歌" mean in japanese?

"歌" means "Song".

Japanese School Students learn this kanji in Second Grade, while foreigners may learn this kanji in preparation for the JLPT N4 exam.

Here are some words that use this kanji:

歌: "Song". The noun '歌 (うた)' means 'song'. It refers to a piece of music with lyrics, typically composed for human voice and accompanied by instruments. 歌 can describe both classical musical compositions as well as popular songs. For example: I love listening to this song - (この歌は好きだ). Let's sing a song together - (一緒に歌を歌いましょう).

歌手: "Singer". The Japanese noun '歌手 (かしゅ)' means 'singer'. This word refers to a professional performer who sings, especially in the context of music or performing arts. Singers can specialize in different genres such as pop, classical, opera, etc. For example: She is a famous singer - (彼女は有名な歌手です). The singer performed beautifully - (歌手の歌声は素晴らしかった).

歌う: "Sing". The Japanese verb '歌う (うたう)' means 'to sing'. It is used to describe the action of producing musical sounds with one's voice. '歌う' can be used to refer to singing in various contexts, such as singing a song, performing at a concert, or simply humming a melody. For example: I will sing a song - (歌を歌う). She sings beautifully - (彼女は美しく歌う).

歌声: "Singing voice". The Japanese noun '歌声 (うたごえ)' refers to the sound of someone's singing voice. It can be used to describe the unique qualities and characteristics of a person's singing voice, such as its tone, volume, or expressiveness. For example: Her singing voice is beautiful - (彼女の歌声はとてもきれいです). The singer has a powerful singing voice - (そのシンガーの歌声はとても力強いです).

歌舞伎: "Kabuki". Kabuki is a classical Japanese dance-drama. It is known for its highly stylized acting, elaborate costumes and makeup, and traditional musical accompaniment. Kabuki performances often depict historical events, legends, or stories of the samurai and their code of honor. For example: I went to see a kabuki performance last weekend - (先週末、歌舞伎を観に行きました).

歌詞: "Lyrics". The Japanese noun '歌詞 (かし)' refers to the words of a song or musical composition. Lyrics provide the text that is sung or recited as part of a musical performance. They can express a wide range of themes and emotions. For example: The lyrics of this song are beautiful - (このうたのかしはきれいです). The lyrics tell a sad story - (かしは哀しい物語を話しています).

To make really sure you learn this Kanji, I've prepared an interactive lesson for you. You are going to learn the readings and meanings of this kanji.

But first, you need to know a little bit about Hiragana and Katakana.

Hiragana and katakana are japanese syllabaries, this means that each character represents a syllable.

This are the characters you need to know for this lesson:

The hiragana "か" is read as "ka". The hiragana "う" is read as "u". And The hiragana "た" is read as "ta".

Heres a quick tutorial on how to use it. You'll be asked three type of questions: meaning, reading, and writing.

For meanings questions all you have to do is type the english meaning. If there is more than one meaning, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Reading questions you have to type the reading in romaji (roman letters, our normal alphabet) and it'll be automatically converted to hiragana if necessary. If there is more than one reading, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Writing questions some options will appear and all you have to do is select the correct ones.