Chinese word

喇叭

Pronunciation

Pinyinlǎ bā

Meaning

  • nounhorn

Example

前面的车不停地按喇叭。qián miàn de chē bù tíng dì àn lǎ bā

The car ahead keeps honking.

Illustration for 喇叭 (horn)

More examples

夜里路边的货车突然发出喇叭声，吵醒了附近的人。yè lǐ lù biān de huò chē tū rán fā chū lǎ bā shēng cháo xǐng le fù jìn de rén

At night, a truck parked by the roadside suddenly sounded its horn, waking nearby people.

Core concept

A device or instrument that sends a strong burst of sound outward, for warning in traffic or making music.

Common phrases

  • 按喇叭àn lǎ bā

    sound the horn

  • 喇叭声lǎ bā shēng

    horn noise

  • 喇叭响lǎ bā xiǎng

    the horn goes off

Similar words

汽笛qì dí: A large-vehicle warning device that sends a long sound over a great distance.
扬声器yáng shēng qì: A device that amplifies sound and sends voices clearly to many people.
小号xiǎo hào: A small brass wind instrument with a high, bright tone.

Definition in Chinese

通常指安装在汽车等交通工具上用于发出警示或提醒的鸣号装置，也可指某些铜管吹奏乐器。tōng cháng zhǐ ān zhuāng zài qì chē děng jiāo tōng gōng jù shàng yòng yú fā chū jǐng shì huò tí xǐng de míng hào zhuāng zhì yě kě zhǐ mǒu xiē tóng guǎn chuī zòu yuè qì

Word origin

喇叭 (lǎbā, "horn") is a disyllabic sound-based name first associated with brass instruments and later extended to warning horns fitted to vehicles.

Usage tips

  • In music talk, 吹喇叭 (chuī lǎbā, "play the trumpet") uses a verb meaning "blow," linking the instrument with the player's physical action.

Other meanings

  • trumpetnoun

Related words

  • 喇叭声lǎ bā shēnghorn noisenoun
  • 喇叭手lǎ bā shǒutrumpet playernoun

Word lists with this word