Chinese word

舞

Pronunciation

Pinyinwǔ

Meaning

  • noundance

Example

她表演了一支舞。tā biáo yǎn le yì zhī wǔ

She performed a dance.

Illustration for 舞 (dance)

More examples

这支舞很优美。zhè zhī wǔ hěn yōu měi

This dance is very graceful.

Core concept

Rhythmic body movement turns feelings, stories, or beauty into a visible performance.

Common phrases

  • 舞蹈wú dǎo

    dance

  • 舞曲wú qǔ

    dance music

  • 舞步wǔ bù

    dance steps

Similar words

舞蹈wú dǎo: Dance as an art or skill involving body movements that follow music or rhythm.

Definition in Chinese

用身体按一定节奏,通过动作和姿势表现情感、故事或审美的艺术活动。yòng shēn tǐ àn yí dìng jié zòu tōng guò dòng zuò hé zī shì biǎo xiàn qíng gǎn gù shì huò shén měi de yì shù huó dòng

Word origin

Ancient forms of 舞 (wǔ, "dance") depict a person holding feathers while moving, connecting the shape of the character with expressive dancing.

Usage tips

  • English uses dance as both a noun and a verb, but in everyday Mandarin the one-character form is chiefly a noun, so conversational verb phrases usually add another verb.

Opposites

Related words

  • 舞蹈wú dǎodancenoun
  • 舞者wú zhědancernoun
  • 舞步wǔ bùdance stepsnoun

Word lists with this word