Chinese word

声音

Pronunciation

Pinyinshēng yīn

Meaning

  • nounsound

Example

声音从门外传来。shēng yīn cóng mén wài zhuàn lái

A sound came from outside the door.

Illustration for 声音 (sound)

More examples

夜里我听到声音，但看不到人。yè lǐ wǒ tīng dào shēng yīn dàn kàn bú dào rén

At night I heard a sound, but I could not see anyone.

Core concept

An audible vibration that travels from a source to the ear.

Common phrases

  • 听到声音tīng dào shēng yīn

    hear a sound

  • 发出声音fā chū shēng yīn

    make a sound

  • 没有声音méi yǒu shēng yīn

    no sound

Similar words

声shēng: An audible sound produced by a person's or animal's mouth or throat.

Definition in Chinese

由物体或空气振动产生并能被耳朵感知的声响，包括人的说话声、物体的声音和环境噪音。yóu wù tǐ huò kōng qì zhèn dòng chǎn shēng bìng néng bèi ér duǒ gǎn zhī de shēng xiǎng bāo kuò rén de shuō huà shēng wù tǐ de shēng yīn hé huán jìng zào yīn

Word origin

声 (shēng, "voice or sound") + 音 (yīn, "sound") form a broad compound covering both vocal sounds and sounds made by the world around them.

Usage tips

  • English often uses voice for a person's speaking sound, but Chinese uses this broader word for both a person's voice and sounds from objects or surroundings.

Other meanings

  • voicenoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word