HSK · Level 54
105 words
Chinese word
小曲
Pronunciation
Pinyinxiǎo qǔ
Meaning
- nounshort song
Example
他给女儿写了一首小曲。tā gěi nǚ ér xiě le yì shǒu xiáo qǔ
He wrote a short song for his daughter.
More examples
晚会结束时，歌手又为观众演唱了几段小曲。wǎn huì jié shù shí gē shǒu yòu wèi guān zhòng yǎn chàng le jǐ duàn xiáo qǔ
At the end of the evening, the singer sang several short songs for the audience again.
Core concept
A brief song built around a clear, memorable melody and suited to singing without a large or complex arrangement.
Common phrases
几段小曲jǐ duàn xiáo qǔ
several short songs
演唱小曲yǎn chàng xiáo qǔ
sing short songs
弹奏小曲tán zòu xiáo qǔ
play short songs
Similar words
歌曲gē qǔ: A song as a complete musical work, with both words and a melody for singing.
乐曲yuè qǔ: A complete piece of music for instrumental or vocal performance and enjoyment.
曲子qǔ zi: An informal name for a short song or melody.
旋律xuán lǜ: The main tune heard as notes rise, fall, and vary in length.
Definition in Chinese
多指短小易传、旋律性强的曲子，有时带民间或随唱色彩。duō zhǐ duán xiǎo yì chuán xuán lǜ xìng qiáng de qǔ zi yǒu shí dài mín jiān huò suí chàng sè cǎi
Word origin
The compound 小曲 (xiǎoqǔ, "short tune") joins 小 (xiǎo, "small") with 曲 (qǔ, "tune"), so its name highlights the work's short form and melodic character.
Usage tips
- English speakers often hear "melody" as only the tune inside a larger work, but this Chinese noun can name the whole short sung piece.
Other meanings
- folk songnoun
- melodynoun
Related words
- 小曲子xiǎo qǔ zishort songnoun
- 小曲儿xiáo qǔrshort songnoun